Lonely No More
by kalika87
Summary: Kali Douglas is a vampire and has been alone for a long time. After taking a trip to the small town of Forks and meeting a very unusual family, has she found something worth fighting for? Eclipse, AU, Cannon-ish.
1. Solitude

I sat on the rooftop and watched the sky turn from black to purple to pink. I sighed to myself. This sun was coming up again. Not good. Not for me anyway. The city below me was starting to wake up so that was my cue to leave. The first rule. Do not be seen. Keep the secret. Be inconspicuous. Didn't matter how you phrased it, I could not be seen here. Not by the humans. And if that sunlight hit me, I would be pretty hard to miss. With one last look at the coming sunrise, I turned and walked towards the edge of the roof. One quick look down and to both sides. Not being watched, no one to see. Despite the miserable mood I was in, I was looking forward to this part. I smiled to myself. I love this bit! It never got old. Half a second passes and I took one quick step out and off the edge of the roof.

I loved this part, I really did. The air rushing round me, hair whipping against my face- but it was over quickly. Too quickly. I landed, whisper quiet, on the balls of my feet. Perfectly balanced, no-one knowing what I just did. Brilliant. I looked back at the building I just walked off and smiled. A hundred and fifty, maybe, a hundred and sixty feet. I would need a taller building next time. The rush lasts longer.

I know what you are thinking. I walk off a building that high onto concrete... liquid me, right? Nope. Just another perk of the life that was chosen for me. I did not ask for it, I did not want it and for several, quite unstable years, I tried to end it, on more than one occassion. In no way did it help me or change what I was. Nothing I ever did helped me to be human and normal. So I learned to survive; live with what I was. Accept and adapt. I was good at it and I should have been. I had centuries of practice.

I was six hundred and two years old and I hadn't physically changed for five hundred and eighty-eight years. It was difficult for me to remember my first life- My human one. The new memories push out the oldest ones. I do remember some of the details leading up to the change and of course the change itself was definitely etched into my brain. I was never going to get rid of that memory. Ever.

I was twenty years old. A young girl in a village in the highlands of Scotland. I was Kallie Douglas then and I was happy enough. My life was pretty close to perfect. But there were rumblings amongst the village leaders about a monster in the area. A demon. A blood drinker. Everyone was to travel together. No-one was to be left alone, especially the women. I remember thinking that they were all superstitious fools. Turns out, not so much.

I was working in the garden, just outside my hut at the edge of the village, next to the woods. My husband was farming sheep and my son playing with others from the village. The sky was overcast, looking like it might rain so everyone around me was in their home already, preparing for the downpour. That's when I saw him.

He was just standing there at the edge of the woods, staring. Stood still as stone and staring. Staring straight at me. I looked straight back at him. Snow white pale skin, long shiny black hair that hung to his shoulders, which were broad and strong. His face was perfection, an angel. But there was something wrong. The eyes. His eyes. Bright crimson, the colour of blood. The dim sunlight broke through the grey mass of clouds and shattered off his skin. He sparkled like the most priceless jewel. He was beautiful. I closed my eyes tight, knowing I had imagined him. When I peeked through my eyelashes at him a second later, he had shot forward twenty feet. He was so fast. I blinked and he shot forward another ten paces. It horrified me. His whole image, his body language, everything about him screamed dangerous.

I couldn't move. I was rooted to the spot. Frozen solid. I could not fight, scream or even think. I just watched as he took the final three steps towards me. He stopped about two feet away from me and smiled. It was pure evil. The rumours of monsters, blood drinkers, demons...they were true. This was it. The Blood Drinker. The Demon. The monster.

The monster held out his hand. An invitation to go to him. Some small voice in my head told me to take its hand and let him lead me. The greater, more sane part of my head told the little part to shut the hell up. I stood frozen, like ice. The demons smile faded just a little before turning into a full grin, flashing teeth at me that sent a shiver from my head to my toes.

"You're going to be special, young one. I can tell." It said.

It had the most beautiful voice I had ever heard. Soft and smooth and I distrusted it immediately. Whatever was coming was coming soon and I couldn't stop it. Death incarnate had found me and I couldn't escape. My heart hammered against my chest as the monster took its last small step towards me.

I don't remember much of the last moments of my first life. I remember two very hot slashes of pain on my neck and being knocked to the ground. Everything went black as the slashes grew hotter. A lot hotter. Way too hot. Someone was burning me from the inside out. The monster, the demon was burning me. This wasn't part of the horror stories. Death came quickly in the stories. This was torture.

"Just let me die!" I screamed "Kill me!"

I never wanted anything as much in my whole life than I wanted to die in that moment. Death would have been heaven compared to this. Every fibre of my being was scorched and burned and raized to ashes. It was horrific. For what felt like the longest of days, I continued to be held at the stake, flames charring my very soul, destroying it. I Blacked out sometimes. It was like the world was split in two. When I blacked out, that part was hot, and painful, but I could survive it. The other part was when I came around again and the screaming and searing agony comtinued. It was hell. Literal, fire and brimstone type hell. The pain was too much like this. I couldn't bear it. I knew I would die, I just had to suffer first. Despite the pain, I discovered that, though it didn't decrease in any way, I could think through it. I could hear things and smell things I shouldn't be able to.

I heard the sound of indivual trees and branches and leaves blowing in the soft breeze. I heard the scurryings of animals. I heard the birds in the sky beat their wings in flight. I heard their heartbeats? That couldn't be right. I could smell the sweet and damp scent of rotting foliage, telling me I was in the woods somewhere. I could smell a delicious cut wood and apple smell nearby. It definitely wasn't human. It was the Demon. He was close. I heard his footfalls on the soft mulch under his feet; each one sounding like a symphony. Despite this progress, the burning raged on.

Then there was a change.

The fire started to retreat, gathering in my chest. next to my heart, which grew impossibly hotter with each second that passed. My arms and legs were free; cool now. I tried to remember what cool felt like before the burning, but it never felt like this, this was new. I was only distracted by that thought when I felt my heart beat. I honestly thought my heart would explode. It burned and hammered against my ribcage, threatening to crash right through it. The fire eased around my body. It was dying out. The fire and my heart were dying. Even when i was half crazy with pain, I knew both would give out eventually. Then as suddenly as the fire came, it left. My heart stuttered twice, paused and with one final limp thud, stopped.

I heard nothing then. not my breathing, not my heartbeat, no movement, no nothing. I was so shocked by the silence, my eyes flew open, and I saw the world for the very first time. The first thing my new eyes registered was the demon. I sought him out, ignoring everything else. Suddenly, my throat was on fire. It reminded me of the burning and I cupped my throat. I was thirsty. I could tell. I heard a stream bubbling away nearby but it was completely unappealing. It wasn't what I thirsted after. I knew of course what I needed; what I craved. Blood. What did that mean? Was I one of them? A soulless blood drinker? I glared at the Demon and screeched. It was an animal, feral sound, unlike anything I heard before. It terrified me. I turned to the angel-faced monster

"What did you do to me demon?" I screeched.

My voice was piercing and menacing. As i advanced on him, my hands curled into claws.

"What I needed to do, young one. You are special. I gave you this new life." he replied evenly, as though expecting my fury.

"You have damned me!" I snarled.

I kept my even pace towards him, breathing heavily and furious to the point of insanity. Strength that I had never known before coursed through my muscles, desperate for a release. I was about 10ft away from this abomination and I decided to get the answer i needed before I attacked.

"What am I? What have you done to me?" I asked.

My voice was even and quiet. More resigned. This monster would die, or I would die trying to kill it.

"You are a vampire. A blood drinker. I gave you immortality." he said.

Completely thrown by change in tone. Lost for words, a growl escaped from my mouth so unnerving that all the world's noise seemed to disappear leaving only that sound. With the sound still ringing in the air, I lunged for his throat.

I shook my head to clear it. As I walked through the deserted city streets, I kicked myself internally. I felt miserable enough without that crap coming up again.

"Stupid. Bloody stupid! You know better Kali, you idiot!"

Scowling at myself, I walked slowly towards the edge of the city center. Seattle was starting to buzz with people. commuters, delivery guys, the news stand vendors. Time for me to floor it. Once i was well outside the city, I started running. REALLY running. God, I loved to run like this. I never tired, needed a break to catch my breath, just running until I felt like stopping. I hit the forest, never slowing, taking in the wildlife around me. Smelling the air, trying to catch the scent of my prey. Nothing today. Damn it. Hunting trip tonight then. I broke through the trees and hit the front lawn of my house. I liked this house. It was bigger than the last one, three stories and lots of room. Way too big for one person. Good thing I liked the extra room, just not the loneliness that came with it. The sun broke the horizon and flooded the world with yellow light. I reach the door just before the light creeps up the front steps of the house.

Inside, everything is as I left it. TV on, CNN news channel was running through the mornings headlines. Human news. I didn't need to know this stuff, but I wanted to know. I missed the human world a lot. I could be out in it and communicate with humans, of course, but only immediately after hunting. I was too dangerous just now for humans. Leaving more than three weeks since my last hunt was a dangerous move on my part, it made me more tempted. I would have to hunt tonight. I had a look through some old maps of the area, looking for a half decent hunting range when I was distracted my the news reader again.

"A total of seven young people have mysteriously disappeared in the last three weeks as Seattle police were informed of the disappearance of twenty-seven year old..."

Something wasn't right. I hadn't paid close attention to the human news for the past couple of weeks. Snippets here and there but nothing interested me, or caught my attention, shall I say. People going missing, new reports of horrific murders and animal attacks every other day. There was something VERY wrong going on in seattle. I decided to update the journal I had written for as long as I had been able to write. I had a photographic memory of course, but I liked to write things down. As I wrote, my mind drifted to my lost family from centuries ago. I knew I had a husband and a son. I couldn't remember their faces. I couldn't remember their voices, further lowering my mood.

I waited inside till the sun began to set behind the trees. Staring at the ten hooks on the wall next to the front door, I was left with a rather serious decision to make. Which car? I thought of where I was hunting. A forest just at the edge of the Olympic peninsula. Not far from a quaint little town called Forks. Thirst winning out over automotive choices, I grabbed the second set of keys. The Lamborghini. Brilliant! I head down the stairs at the front of the house, checking the light situation. The sun was falling quickly. The sunset had changed the world again. Instead of the bright yellow light from this morning, the whole scene is ablaze in the most stunning red and orange glow from the setting sun. My favourite time of the day by far.

I opened the car, climbed in hit the ignition and was flying down the drive at a hundred miles per hour before ten seconds had passed. I thought about my quarry as I navigated the quiet driveway. I knew the forest near the peninsula held elk and black tailed deer, but I was lucky enough that the forest butted onto the Olympic mountainside. Bears and mountain lions too. Carnivores. Makes a change. Something with a bit of fight in it. I hadn't hunted humans after the first hundred and fifty years. I knew that's how the demon fed. The one who created me.I wanted nothing to do with him. I didn't want to hurt people. I just couldn't do it! I couldn't justify the death, the cost of life on my hands. I hated the screaming, the fear I could literally smell off of them before I took my first bite. I shook my head again, remembering all too well that those screams sounded like. I hated them. Internally kicking myself again, I put the accelerator to the floor and opened the engine up, letting the car buck and stabilize before really taking off.

I was on the motorway (refusing, even mentally to adopt the American colloquialism for the road) and half way to Forks in about thirty minutes. I likes this car. Fast enough. Faster than the Porsche anyway. Twenty-five minutes later, after driving well above the legal limit for most of the way, I slowed down just outside the town. It had been about forty years since I had been here. It honestly hadn't changed that much. Small place,maybe fifteen hundred people. The sky was nearly always grey and the weather mostly cold and wet. The place was also impossibly green. It reminded me of Scotland. It reminded me of my home.

I parked the car next to a small police station (safest place I could see for a 200,00 car.) and got out. One small breath through my nose was enough to freeze me to the spot. There were others of my kind here. A lot of them.  
Vampires.

In my six hundred and two years, I had obviously encountered others of my kind. None like me of course. All hunted in the traditional way. Most of them looked at me with pity. The poor immortal that lost its mind. My choice of diet confused them, but most ignored it and passed on through. There had been others though. Those who saw me as a threat to the secret. I walked amongst humans. I talked and laughed with them. I was dangerous to them. A risk to exposure. A number of them tried to destroy me at some point or another. The same number that had been destroyed in the attempt. I had the scars to prove it.

I did have an advantage though. When I was human, I had the ability to pick up skills very quickly. A fast learner if you will. This seemed to have carried through to this life. Vampires on the whole are remarkable predators, but some are born with extra abilities to compliment the glut of already impressive hunting tools. I had encountered many different talents through the years. Mind readers, telekinetics, precognitives, reality manipulators - which under normal circumstances, would give them an advantage.

Not with me though. Their gifts, were my gifts. I could feel and use the gifts they had as if they were my own. They were my own. It's a heady tonic knowing that you are as powerful as the person attacking you. I knew my kinds. They existed in covens of one or two at the most. This was different.

There were several scents here. Five, six, maybe seven. If this was one coven... I was in trouble here. This town was in serious danger. The scents were old, maybe a week. I might get away with hunting here. The thirst was scorching my throat just thinking about the hunt. If I was fast. Eat and go, I should be alright. I moved quickly and silently towards the edge of the woods. I closed my eyes, reaching out with my other senses, allowing them to take me further into the forest. No other immortals, just deer. Black tailed and sprinting through the woods. I slipped down into a hunting crouch. Ready to spring at the first chance. Not the ideal prey but it would be enough for now. I sprang at the buck of the herd, zoning in on the warm spot just above the jugular. My teeth sank into the flesh, cutting through fur, skin and sinew and allowed the warm blood to wash over my charred throat. Relief and warmth started to spread through me. Suddenly, my hearing pricked. I threw the half drained stag in my arms about fifty feet behind me into the forest and shot straight up through the branches of a huge Sitka spruce. I landed on a branch about twenty-five feet in the air and waited, trying to locate what sparked the defensive instinct.

Vampires.


	2. Element Of Surprise

Frozen to the bough I was perched on. I waited for their arrival. Not knowing what I was actually waiting for. I should have ran. I could still run, but my limbs was like ice, Solid and unmoving. I held my breath and let my senses reach out around me again. Not for blood, but for the danger I knew was coming. The wind shifted, blowing from the south and I caught the scent I was looking for.

Three. Three different scents. Three Vampires. Damn it! I should have run when I had the chance. Without moving, I inhaled again, trying to identify the scent. The first to hit me was lovely. Leather, moss, seaweed...earthy and homey and fabulous. The next was soon to follow. Chocolate, caramel and strawberry. So delicious, it would be appealing to all walks of life. The last was nothing short of magnificent. something just off honey, lilac and sunshine. It was beautiful.

"Look Ed, I'm telling ya. There is no-one here. I can't smell anything." a deep, booming male voice said. Clearly irritated.

"I don't care Em. I smelled something. I can HEAR them" said another male voice replied.

"Well, I don't SEE anything, OK? can we please hunt now?" said the third and final voice. Female this time. It sounded like bells.

Then the wind shifted again, blowing from behind me, carrying my own sent into the small clearing next to the spruce i was hiding in. Just my luck. It so wasn't my day today. I should have stayed at home. I shifted my weight, ready to spring. My scent let them know I was here already, at least this way I could be ready to bolt if I had to. One on one, I had an even chance. Three on one? not a hope in hell.

"Oh. There they are! I can smell you now. You're new?" said the female with a slight giggle. The sound made my lips twitch upwards in a strange way. I was six centuries old. I was definitely not new.

"We aren't going to hurt you, you know." offered the second male. "We just weren't expecting company..."

"Edward, I'm bored and thirsty. Can we go? Rose is waiting back at the house. She wants to tinker with the jeep again!" said the first voice. These vampires didn't feel threatening. I shifted again and heard 3 heads whip round and scan the tree I was currently frozen to.

"We aren't going to hurt you stranger. If you come out, I will answer those questions for you though." said Edward. I could hear the laughter in his voice. He was amused. Smug git. Unthinkingly, I twitched. responding to the comment.

"Foolish mistake, rookie move! Rand bloody amateur" I screamed inside my own head. My mental battering was interrupted by another peal of giggles.

"You aren't an amateur, stranger. Just taken off guard." Offered Edward. He was clearly enjoying this exchange, and I have to say he was the only one. How did he do that? I thought that. I didn't say it out loud. I was sure of it. I was too tense to speak. What was happening?

"I can answer those for you too if you like? We just want to talk, from your hunt, you may be more like us than you think." Edward said evenly. It took half a second to process the one-sided conversation. Oh fan-bloody-tastic. A telepath. I had encountered them before. There was one in Italy that especially creeped me out. I so didn't need this as well as being out numbered.

Although...I did need this though. The mind reader. If I could reach out... Find his mind, channel his gift... and then a roar of sound filled my head as the thoughts of the other vampires crashed down into my mind.

_She sounds scared. we can't back away though. she could be dangerous_

_Ed is totally losing it, man. Rose is gonna be pissed if we get back late. This is pointless. I should just go hunt the bears myself!_

_Focus Alice, find the future. Focus!_

It was too much, I gasped and rocked slightly. Not losing my balance, but it still felt unsafe to move.

"How did you do that? I heard what you heard! How?" demanded 'Edward'. The others whipped their heads to stare at him. I watched through the branches and slid down onto the bough below for a better look. I was going to have to come down. I knew that. I would have to at least talk to these vampires if I had a hope of getting out of here. I moved quietly downwards, one branch at a time until I was about 15 feet in the air. The female spoke.

"Its alright, We won't hurt you. We just want to talk to you." she said. her voice worked towards a steady soothing lilt that had an almost immediate effect. From this distance I could see them clearly, unobstructed by the branches and the pine needles. Before I could register their appearance, flashes of unfamiliar images hit me. This was new. another talented vampire was here. But it hurt to watch this one. Images shifted in front of my ; hunting near Alaska, the big muscled vampire in front of me rounding up players for baseball, a human girl with long mahogany hair and chocolate brown eyes. A removal van outside my own home, filled with packing boxes... Oh god. The images hurt my head. I worked with all the concentration i could find, blocking them out. sealing off that gift. It was too much.

"Ed, she doesn't look so good. We should leave her alone man." Said the other male; Emmett.

"Emmett, we startled her. She is near the border. she has to know. Or at least, she has to move. Its not safe!" Alice proclaimed. Genuine panic setting in. It made me edgy.I slid down the last 3 branches and landed with a soft thud. I kept my hunting crouch and stared at the three strangers. As far as vampires go, they were glorious to behold The first stranger to catch my was nothing short of gargantuan. He was HUGE! six and a half foot, maybe taller. Broad, muscular shoulders. arms, chest... he was massive! Dark curly hair, black eyes, purple bruises under them. He was thirsty. Not a big problem for me, but random humans, I felt a sudden surge of pity for the poor, unsuspecting mortals that this vampire might come across.

The second stranger was the girl. Tiny thing. A good foot shorter than I was and built like a twig. Sharp, spiky black hair framed her pixie-like face and her black, bruised eyes. She was beautiful. She was so graceful, even for one of our kind.

The last of the group. The other male. Tall, muscular, but not as heavily muscled as the first. Bronze coloured messy hair sat atop his ridiculously perfect face. As vampires go, he was stunning. Truly. His mouth was pulled up into a sort of crooked half smile that I swear would have stopped the hearts of any female human he inflicted it upon.

"Hello, stranger." The bronze haired vampire greeted me. His body language was welcoming and open. I wasn't used to this. It made me nervous as hell. I watched his eyes roll up and down me. I saw myself reflected in his eyes. The mud covered biker-style boots, the worn and faded denims, the purple vest shirt and leather jacket over it (covered with leaves and twigs from my recent hide-out.) Hunting clothes. I saw my face, alarmed by the tension in it and the effect that the nervousness had on my body. It was like I was shivering. Causing my flame coloured curls to quiver.

"Thought you might have stayed up there!" the bronze haired Vampire continued. "Why don't you introduce yourself?"  
I felt myself straightening didn't seem dangerous. They could have killed me already. Well the two males might, the female was down right tiny. I had her no problem.

"My name is Kali. I didn't realize that this area had been claimed. I haven't been here for 40 years. I apologise and will leave immediately." I stated formally, looking for the first sign of escape.

"That might not be necessary, Kali." Said the female, Alice. Her eyes went blank, but she started smiling. The biggest grin spread across her face, highlighting everyone of her pixie-like features. "Edward..."

"Yes, Alice, I know. Maybe we should call and ask." "Guys, I'm thirsty, I'm bored and Rose is gonna be pissed as it is. Can we go now? Bring her along if you want." Emmett was getting impatient. Not good. Our kind shouldn't get annoyed like that. It was dangerous.

"Look guys, I don't want trouble. I'll go. You go hunt. I'm sorry I interrupted you. Have a good night." I slowly started to back away, feeling nothing but sadness at the thought of leaving. I didn't want to go, but I had to.

"Oh no you don't! I SAW us. All of us hunting. That includes you Kali. You need to finish hunting, and so do we. Makes sense for us all to go together, then, we can go and talk to the rest of the family." Alice seemed to so sure. So confident, but the thought just made me happy. I wanted to go. I wanted to hunt with them and figure out why Alice thought I was safe. I couldn't focus on her talent, not yet. I couldn't control it. It hurt.

"Might be a good idea. Only, I don't hunt humans." I said wearily. I knew what this statement usually brought. Laughter, baulking, outrage, fear... normally followed with me being left on my own again, or me having to defend myself against an attack. I had the scars to prove it.

"We aren't going to hurt you, laugh at you or be 'outraged', Kali, We don't hunt humans either. We were hunting elk before we ran into you." Edward said softly. I could tell he was telling the truth about the hurting me thing, but about the hunting humans thing was ridiculous. I was a freak, I rejected my nature because I couldn't stand the screaming of the humans. As I let Edward's comments sink in, I felt something in my head. Not their gifts or mines. It was like a change. Something in my head had shifted and moved. Suddenly, I wanted to protect these friendly vampires (if there was such a thing). I didn't feel alone anymore.

"Well, if we hunt. you can see me and I can see you and the evidence should speak for itself then, right?" I challenged, starting to enjoy myself. The colour of their eyes after the hunt would be the give away. Black with thirst just now, but once they had hunted, they should be more like mines. Gold.

"Edward, I want to hunt, I'm going!" said Emmett. He was desperate to keep moving. He wanted back to Rose, whoever she was.  
"Then it appears, we are hunting then?" I mused

"It would appear so..." Said Edward, flashing a crooked smile that honestly, would take your breath away. "Lets go!" Emmett roared, moving at speed towards the forest with the three of us fast on his heels.

I let them take the lead, not willing to have them at my back just yet. They were still unknown to me. I followed their lead, allowing the scents of the forest to run through my head, searching for what I wanted. Elk, deer, wolf... got it! Mountain lion, about 60ft ahead and 30ft up. I took to the trees, swinging like a trapeze artist from branch to branch landing on the same tree as the lioness, only 15ft above her. Slipping down through the tree, I landed on her branch and pouncing before she even registered my presence. My teeth sank into her neck and instantly providing the relief and satisfaction I needed. I grinned as I contemplated my luck. My favourite, absolute favourite quarry, and I found it quicker than usual. Tonight was definitely my night. A good hunt and possibly some new friends. My stomach knotted at the thought of my new found vein of luck. How long could it last?

Dropping the dead lioness at my feet, I turned around to watch the other vampires finish their hunt. Emmett, the big one, was currently playing with another mountain lion. Alice was finishing off a large doe from the deer herd and Edward was burying his kill's carcass. Once everyone was finished, there was a moment, one small moment of tension when we looked into each others eyes again. Pleasantly surprised, I found six very satisfied and very gold eyes starting back at me. Hmmm... vegetarians.

"Well, now that we have that settled..." Alice stated, a small giggle building up. I felt it echoed in her two companions. It was completely contagious. I started laughing uncontrollably. As did the three new friends around me. It was a few minutes before the hilarity dissipated.

"Ok, ok, she ain't killing humans, can we go back now? or are we hunting some more, I didn't catch me a bear..." Emmett asked and mused at the same time. What was it with him and bears?

"He lost a fight with a bear once. Hasn't quite got over it." Edward answered my unspoken question with a smile. "We should probably head back though."

"You coming then Kali?" Alice asked the anticipation on her face almost floored me. I was being accepted. The lonely hole in my chest closed a little.

"I left my car in Forks. I should probably go get it. Its not exactly the most conspicuous vehicle." £200,000 car in the middle of a small town in Washington. No, not exactly discrete. I could replace it if I wanted to, easily. 600 years was plenty of time to amass wealth, I just liked THAT one.

"I'm not surprised." Edward said, still peering in my head. that would get annoying. "One of us will come with you if you like. Help you get to the house?"

"I'll go! Please! please please please?" Alice was practically bouncing up and down. I couldn't get over how accepting she was. "If you feel safe with the stranger vampire?" Her eyes went blank and then flickered back to life again. "Yep, no problem. lead the way! We will be back at the house in 20 minutes. let them know we have a guest coming will you?" She stared at Emmett as he got out his mobile phone. "You will be back there in 5 minutes, why are you calling?" annoyance peppered her tone.

"More of a heads up, isn't it?" Emmett replied while he dialed the number and spoke fast. "Carlisle" pause "Of course nothing is wrong, look, hold on a second will ya? Oh, here, talk to Alice!" shoving the mobile into Alice's hand

"Carlisle, can you make sure everyone is in the dining room in 20 minutes? We need to talk about something." Alice paused this time, shorter than Emmett's. "Look, its easier if you see for yourself. Just make sure everything is ready. Look, I have to go. Be home soon" she closed the phone and handed it back to her companion. "Lets get this show on the road! you guys run, we will drive" she proclaimed, grabbing my hand and pulling my forward towards the town.

After a quick run through the forest, we hit the town. It was dark, just after midnight and I was in a human town, with a very strange and very friendly vampire. not exactly how I saw my day going. We walked slower then, mostly in silence until we reached my car. My gorgeous deep purple Lamborghini Murcielago. This was my pride and joy. Alice let out a low whistle.

"How does it drive?"

"Like you wouldn't believe!" I winked at her and she flashed a grin back.

"Well Kali, best get going, the family are expecting company now. Rose gets impatient."

"I'm gonna need directions here, Alice. Its been 40 years since I was here last you know." I teased. Should have probably mentioned that before I offered her a ride. I started the car, careful to keep the engine revs down. Rule number one, remember? Don't get caught and don't be seen! A town this small, I would get noticed. "hop in!" challenging her.

"They are gonna like you, you know? I've seen it." Alice stated randomly as she pointed down the road, out of the small town "That way."

"Thanks, and you can't know that Alice. They haven't met me yet."

"Of course I can know. They decided to hear you out and I know they will love you so just suck it up. you are gonna have a lot of new friends by morning." She stuck her tiny little tongue out at me and giggled. I eased out onto the motorway after we left the town, following her directions to the letter. Suddenly, I was beyond curious.

"Tell me about them, Alice. Your family." using her words, not mine. Alice giggled then pursed her lips. "Oh where to even begin...?"

She talked at high speed for 10 minutes offering as much detail as a two hour lecture would contain as she talked about the 6 other members of her family.

She started with Carlisle. Their father, their creator, the doctor, the compassionate one, the confidant, essentially, the core of their whole family.

She moved onto Esme next. Their mother, their heart. Alice talked about her ability to love unconditionally, her caring and her love. If Carlisle was the creator of the family, she was the glue that held it together.

Then Jasper. Alice's true other half, her soul mate. The soldier brought to this life during the vampire wars in the south. The one that struggled most with 'vegetarianism' but never stopped trying. The empath. the other gifted member of the family.

Rosalie was next. Her sister. Tenacious to a fault, stunningly beautiful even by vampire standards. She struggled most with being a vampire. I could understand that. She hated what she was but resolved to be the best at it regardless.

Next came Emmett, Rosalie's partner. Her big brother. Massive, of course but essentially a big kid. impressively strong, always up for a challenge and fiercely protective of his family and mate.

She paused after Emmett. Edward was next. Why would she stop though? The curiosity was just about killing me.

"Edward is special." she began in a quiet voice. Edward. The families lost soul, the lonely old man who only recently came out of his shell. The mind reader. His gift made him more sensitive to those around him.

"He has the most exceptional self-control I have ever seen, although, he has put himself into a situation where it is demanded." She was holding something back. Something important. Curiosity burning, I looked at her, trying to figure out what it was she was keeping back. I had 600 years practice at reading faces. That was humans though, Vampires have the ability to produce the most astonishing poker face... and thats what I was getting, poker face.

"Alice..." I pressed.

"Sorry, Its just that Edward is... complicated" she said. The riddles started to drive me insane. So, against my better judgement, I focused on her gift. Properly focused. That it hit me again. It almost felt like pouring bleach in my head. the images singed as they tore through my head. Eight vampires sat around a very expensive looking antique table, a silver Volvo parked next to my car, a very pretty human with brown hair and brown eyes with the most astonishing blush spreading across her face.

"Woaw!" I cried out, shock overriding the need for discretion. "Sorry Alice, I really am but who the hell was that? The human with the brown hair and blushing?"

"Oh, that's Bella. She's part of the family. Edwards mate."

"But she is human..." I was so confused. I didn't like confused.

"I told you things were complicated, didn't I?" she grinned at my totally frozen features. "Turn right here and head up the drive. We're nearly there."

Doing as instructed, I turned right, the drive was winding, shaded on both sides by massive trees. Sharp corners, hairpin turns, bumps and dips... this was not supposed to be used as a driveway. The regular use of cars had pounded the dirt into submission to form a somewhat usable road.

"Please tell me you don't live in a hut at the end of this trail?" I teased. Alice all but folded over laughing. "Of course we don't. Like I would allow that?" The trail opened up slightly, the trees thinning on either side as we approached a meadow. Well, of all the things i expected, I wasn't looking for this. A large meadow, gorgeous under the moonlight and swaying slightly in the light breeze. A river cutting through the meadow in two places, 6 ancient cedar trees sheltering the whole meadow with the shadows they cast touching the back wall of a large white house. I shouldn't have been suprised though, considering the residence I was currently occupying outside of Seattle. The driveway run straight through the meadow, widening towards the front steps of the porch. The house was beautiful. I stared for a second and then shook some sense into myself. Yes, the house is very pretty Kali, but the pretty house in the nice meadow with the tinkling river was also filled with vampires. Pulling up at the front porch, I killed the engine and looked at Alice.

"I'm gonna be safe right? No attacks?"

"You know, I might find that insulting."

"No offence meant... its just that, i can smell six vampires in that house, you make seven and I make eight. We aren't supposed to group like that. it goes against our nature." I protested.

"So does being vegetarian." She said smugly, clearly pleased with her logic. And I couldn't argue with it. "Are you stalling Kali? They wont hurt you. they are gonna love you."

"Easy for you to say. you see the future."

"I see versions of the future. It can always change you know?" She replied

"Yeah, because that's comforting." I said sarcastically. "One wrong move, Kali, and its all over. Would that be about right?" I teased.

"Our family has seven vegetarian vampires who always live within hunting distance of a human town or city. Wrong moves and slip ups are easily forgotten and forgiven here."

"I'll bear that in mind."

"Quit stalling, will you? Now, Do you want to leave this glorious machine here or put it in the garage to save the paint from fading?" Paint from fading? It was about 2am, how long was I staying for?

"Um, I think it should be ok here. The paint will be fine. I can move it later if I have to." I suggested. She jumped in the air excitedly, waving her little arms.

"Alright then, lets do this!"


	3. Meetings

This was it. I had finally lost it. 602yrs had finally been enough for me sub-consciously, because I was walking into a house where there would be seven stranger vampires waiting for me. This was NOT going to end well. It couldn't. I got out of my car, locked the doors, pocketed the keys and followed the pint-sized vampire to the front door of the house. three steps across the lawn, eight steps up the stairs of the porch and four steps to the door.

"Ready?" Alice chimed, clearly more excited than I was. I was still stuck on panic.

"As I'll ever be. Let's meet the family!" I suggested, mock enthusiasm colouring my voice.

I was too good at this. She took it as honest excitement. The door swung open gracefully to reveal an astonishing great room. Light and airy and bright. I barely registered that when my eyes focused on the group of vampires in front of me. Definitely not how I imagined my day turning out. Every muscle in my body tensed as the strong vampire smells assaulted my senses. It was confusing, overpowering and, honestly, terrifying. Alice danced her way over to one of the males present.

He was tall, slender, but well muscled under his pale pullover. Blonde messy hair and scars all over his throat, jaw and face. Jasper, my memories deducted from the appearance. He stared at me with an intensity that should have been deadly. If looks could kill and all that... Then I felt it. His gift. Manipulation, moods specifically. I had seen gifts like it in my travels before. I knew my way around this one- sort of. I focused on him for a second, allowing his gift to fill my head. I was shocked by the strength of emotions present. Anger, happiness, relief, outrage, bashfulness, thirst, compassion, suspicion. There were so many. I was getting confused again. A wave of forced calm flooded through me and around the room. He was trying to calm the room down, but I didn't like it. I needed a clear head right now, not someone messing with my moods. I pushed back against the forced calm, resenting the fact it was forced upon me in the first place.

"Jazz, cool it with the mood. We don't need it and she doesn't like it." Edward stated flatly to his 'brother'. The mood lifted almost instantly and I muttered a quick and quiet thank you. One of the other males stepped forward cautiously.

"Hello Kali. My name is Carlisle. This is my family. Edward and Emmett told us of your encounter in the forest." This vampire was tall, with pale blonde hair and a face any Hollywood actor would sell their soul for. His face was also open and friendly. Sincerity rang through every word he spoke.

"Um... hi Carlisle. Yeah, we sort of bumped into each other. Collided hunting trips." I started, well aware of the fact that seven sets of gold eyes were watching my every move. "Alice told me about you guys and asked me to visit. She told me not to be afraid, despite what my instincts tell me."

"What exactly did Alice tell you about us?" Carlisle asked, slightly tensing.

"Nothing bad. She told me to expect another six friendly vampires, who don't hunt humans and have a healthy respect for humanity on the whole. To be honest though, my instincts are still screaming at me to get away from the seven stranger vampires." I said, trailing off a little at the end.

"Kali, my name is Esme. No-one here will hurt you. I promise, dear." said one of the unfamiliar females. She was brunette, with a warm smile and dimples carved by angels. So much compassion and understanding was pouring out of her, I felt like I might drown in it. I couldn't help but grin back at her like a moron. Then something in my head felt different. Something was changing in me. I couldn't place it and I wasn't sure uf I wanted to. I felt strange, sort of disconnected. Like every tie I had to the world was gone and I was floating.

"Kali, would you like to spend the evening here? I'm sure the others are anxious to get to know you and Alice has been itching to dress you up since we saw you in the woods." He giggled slightly while looking at his little sister.

"I think I will." I said certainly. "Thanks for having me."

After being invited to stay for a while, I told them my six hundred year old story. I told them about Scotland. My old life there. The angel-faced demon who took that life and gave me this one. The way I destroyed the demon who killed me. My first hundred years as a complete savage. The next hundred years when I calmed down and started traveling. The blood shed I caused and the misery it brought me. I told them in detail about my conversion to this lifestyle. How I didn't need humans to survive and the one slip up I had in the four hundred and fifty years since. I told them: honestly, I told them everything about me. They asked few questions as I poured out my soul (metaphorically speaking) and were a rapt audience. I felt more change happening as I spoke. I never told anyone this story before, not to this degree of detail because no-one cared enough to ask or to listen. I was the freak to be avoided, Not to be listened to as I was being listened to now. When I finished speaking, the whole room was silent. I lowered my eyes and I waited for the backlash. Cries of freak, aberration, disgrace to our kind... but the never came. I looked up cautiously to find seven sets of understanding and caring eyes watching me with a mixture of shock, pity and surprise. I told them everything about me and they were emanating nothing but welcome and compassion now.

"Kali, I know how hard it is for you. We all do. If we can help, we will." Said Esme confidently. I smiled, finding the idea of needing help with my self control totally insane. I had never had a better grasp of that side of my nature.

"Thank you Esme. I really appreciate that." I said wholeheartedly "It's been a long time since I was treated as anything other than a pariah." I was still waiting for one of them to snap and become hostile. I was used to that. I searched for any sign that they saw me as a threat, but nothing. Nothing but understanding.

"Kali, I can feel that you know." Said Jasper, speaking for the first time. "Kali, we aren't going to hurt you." Edward reminded me, reading Jasper's thoughts. "We could have done that already if we wanted to. We want to help." truth and honesty rolled off of him in waves, instantly reassuring me. I nodded once, acknowledging this and smiled at him.

"So what now?" I asked, unsure of what meaning I was to take from the meeting. "What about you guys? Ive never a coven this large before. It goes against our nature."

"Our family is as large because we love each other." said the last unidentified vampire. She was like a goddess incarnate, beauty beyond that of any mortal or immortal. This must have been Rosalie.

"It's a little more complicated than that Rose. The animal blood allows us to deny our nature, forming true bonds of love rather than those of instants gratification." Carlisle explained "It makes us that little bit more human and less like a monster. We don't live for the kill, we kill to survive." Sadness coloured his expression. This was a difficult subject for him but he continued on. "We don't relish the thought of killing anything, but if hunting animals stops us from harming humans, then it must be done." He concluded solemnly.  
I nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. I understood. I didn't enjoy the kill, not really. It was necessary in order for me to leave humans unharmed.

"Kali, If you don't mind me asking, how did you develop your conscience?" Edward inquired. "We only know of one other coven like ourselves, in Denali, Alaska. They came to this lifestyle in quite a different fashion than us. How did you manage to control youself?" His eyes flashed eagerly. This new information was vital to him. Like it meant hope if others could find their way without guidance. I took a deep, unneeded breath to steady myself and closed my eyes before I began.

"Honestly, it was a build up of things. The way I was changed was disgusting. I was created for the sake of it. I destroyed my sire within minutes of being reborn and I scared myself stupid. I was dangerous, I knew that. I ran to the forests, keeping away from the main trails. I couldn't be around people.I wouldn't hunt for weeks. But instinct sometimes kicked in, dragging me into my own person hell as I fed. The thirst was all but under control, but the guilt that every single life I took caused me was crippling. Most of the time, I would curl up into a ball, wanting the world to swallow me whole and take me to hell where I belonged. I was convinced I was cursed. The screaming of the victims was enough proof of that. A constant reminder of what I had become." I paused for half a second to collect my thoughts. A hand touched my shoulder gently, but I didn't look to see who it was.

"After I fed, I would retreat away from people again. Trying to stay as far from them as possible. But my village was a hunting village, they roamed the woods and would often take me by suprise and more often after I had spent weeks in a thirst fuelled haze. This cycles continued for decades. The level of murder on my hands was intolerable. I couldn't bear it anymore. I tried to kill myself, more times than I really should have. The first three attempts showed me just how indestructable I was.

"Stabbing myself didn't work. my body broke the blades of the daggers and knives. Drowning obviously didn't work. I didn't need to breathe. I tried to throw myself off a cliff once and the only thing I accomplished was putting two massive crators into ground. One where I bounced and one where I landed.

"I withdrew into the forests along the west of Scotland, avoiding humanity at all costs. Not feeding, not even moving for the most part. I had avoided feeding for nearly 3 months and I was honestly delerious with thirst. I caught the scent of some red deer running through the forest nearby and instinct kicked back in. I hunted and fed and gorged myself. It was no-where near the taste of human blood, of course, but it soothed the ragged burn in my throat enough for me to think.

"If I could feed off of animals, instead of humans, maybe I wasn't as monstrous as I thought. Maybe I wasn't a demon if I could control myself; Not damned. It took me nearly one hundred and fifty years to figure that out. I have only slipped once in the years since I chose this lifestyle." As I remembers that one 'slip' I was rocked by a way of guilt and shame that threatened to knock me off balance. I steeled myself enough to finish my story.

"The one slip I had was around 450 years ago. It was like his blood sang to me. It was irresistable." I stated, disgusted by the mere memory of it. "The only good thing that came from it, is that now, other humans blood has barely registers above animal now. I know that I will never find a scent that appealing again. It makes my lifestyle easier."

"Kali, that person who appealled to you so much; That was your singer." Edward said after a long and slightly awkward silence. "I understand completely."

"You have met yours, haven't you?" I demanded. "Your 'singer'?"

"Yes."

"Who? Did you hurt them?"

"No. I didn't kill her." A look swept across his face that I recognised immediately. He was hiding something. "Kali, I'm not hiding anything." He started to explain "It's just complicated." Unfortunately for him, I got impatient again. I focused on his gift and used it. Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella... you get the idea.

"Edward," I began "This doesn't have anything to do with the brunette that rattles around my head eveytime I try to make sense of Alice's gift, does it?" I hoped I hadn't overstepped the mark yet. "You know, the brunette with the blushing problem?"

"Yes, it does." He tensed, muscled locked down and jaw clenched. I continued to focus on his mind. He slipped. I saw what he was hiding.

"Jesus Christ, Edward! Really? Oh, you poor sod!" I exclaimed. The room turned into a museum as the 7 other bodies in it froze to stone stillness. "That girl from Alice's visions and in everyones head right now, thats your singer? How do you control yourself? Does she know what you are? She is in danger if she does know and not from just you. You have to know that, right?" The questions spilled out one after the other. I didn't bother trying to catch them, I was too shocked. Edward was the first to move. The tension in his jaw eased and his mouth pulled up into a smile which never quite reached his eyes.

"To answer those in order; Yes. With difficulty. Yes and I wont let **_anything_** happen to her." The smile dissappeared with the last answer and an intense seriousness took over.

"I'm sorry. I'm not going to harm her. I promise. Its just that, I lasted less than a minute in the presence of my 'singer' " I shuddered again at the memory. "Also, There are those of our kind who protect our anonymity and secrecy fiercely. They keep us safe at any and all costs, regardless of who needs to be sacrificed, immortal or not." As I said the words, my mind raced through memories of one particular coven. The Volturi resided in Volterra, Italy. They had been the leaders of the Vampire world for fifteen hundred years as best I knew. It was their job to make sure our secrets were kept safe, punishing rule breakers and those who flaunted the immortal gifts bestowed upon them. They kept 'regular' vampires from hunting conspicuously, stopped covens from battling and protected our world from the horrific Taboo creations some of my kind had tried to produce.  
As the thoughts rolled through my brain, I heard Edward let out one low continuous snarl.

"You are familiar with that particular group then?" I asked, hoping that the answer would be a straight forward no.

"Yes." was his simple response, hands balling into fists by his sides. My eyes rolled. Typical.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to them. I can't. Pretty sure if I am seen by them again, they will turn my into rubble and burn the bits."

Edwards hands unclenched and confusion swept across his features.

"Explain..."

"My mate, Euan, was destroyed by the Volturi about three hundred and fifty years ago now. He was stupid enough to turn a human that should never have been touched. The Volturi Guard stepped in. I was summoned to Italy. No, that's not the right word. Frog marched to Italy and brought before the Ancients- Aro, Marcus and Caius. I was taken to a huge room with throne like chairs dotted around it. I was scanning the room when I saw my mate under restraint. I was a millisecond away from launching an attack when I was told of my mates crimes. I was shocked into stillness. Honestly, If I had known what he had done, I would have taken care of the problem myself. I think I got lucky that day. Aro must have been in a good mood because he let me go.". The whole room was still and silent again when the sun broke the horizon and flashed across my skin. A million diamond facets threw rainbows around the room in a thousand different directions. It did the same to the other seven vampires around me. The room practically glowed. It was in that moment, Edward jumped up from his seated position in what appeared to be a great hurry.

"I have to go now. " He announced and headed for the door.

"Edward," Esme called, grinning slightly "You might want to change your clothes, dear. You wore those ones yesterday." Emmett guffawed and Alice looked nothing short of horrified. I'm sure I looked very confused. Edward took a quick glance at himself, rolled his eyes, shot out of the room and up the stairscase.

"What the hell was that about?" I really was confused.

"Its Saturday. Bella comes here on a saturday. Her father goes fishing. " Alice explained as her eyes glassed over again.

"Still not getting it. She's his 'singer' or whatever right?"

"Yep"

"Then why would he bring her here. I mean its not like he's in..." Then it clicked. Why he was so defensive of her. Why everyone in this room thought about her.

"Oh he didn't did he? He fell in love with her? _That poor bugger!_ How does he do it?" I stifled a surprised laugh as I heard him come down the stairs.

"With great difficulty, remember?" Edward reappeared, clothes changed and car keys in his hand. He smiled at me and then turned to Esme.

"I'm going to go and pick up Bella. Can you start her breakfast for her?"

"Of course." Esme nodded seriously and drifted towards the kitchen. I dreaded to think what she was cooking. Human food smelled revolting to me. I had obviously found myself in situations where eating was necessary, but the thought of choking it back up was just flat out wrong. Hideous stuff. If I was human, I would be ten shades of green right now.

"It helps not to think about it, Kali." Edward murmured as he made his way out of the door. I heard an engine start somewhere and stood up. Alice looked confused at my sudden movement.

"If he is bringing Bella here, I think I might need to top off the tank a little. That human smells too good for her own safety." I shuddered at how much danger she could be in from any of our kind who smelled her scent. "Won't take too long. "

"Kali, red or purple? What do you prefer? " I thought the answer in my head as i watched alices eyes glass over again. "Never mind. I got it. Go hunt and I'll meet you outside in an hour."

"O...kay?" I was so far beyond confused now, I thought it best to leave it alone or I would be worse off than I started.

"Honestly Kali, It's better just to nod and agree." Emmett offered, pointing his chin at Alice. I took his advice, nodded once and shot out the back door and across the river in the space of seconds with the sound of laughter trailing me.

I didn't hunt much. Just a deer. I was already uncomfortably full, but I intended on pushing as much blood into me as possible to try and take the edge off the ache my throat had coming to it. I headed back towards the river, hopping over it when Alice appeared at the back door of the house. From this angle, the entire back wall of the huge house was made of glass. It made me smile. They didn't have to hide here. I liked that thought and made a mental note to ask Esme how to go about it for the Seattle house.

"Your house would look amazing if you had one fitted." she declared, handing me a small bundle of clothes.

"Thanks." I muttered. "You know I had clothes in my car right?"

"Yes. They were very nice, but these are better." she replied. "Oh and about your car, Jasper moved it into our garage. The sun is coming up and its going to be relatively sunny. Good thing you got the windows tinted." Like I could drive during the day without them.

"When will Edward be getting back?" I asked. I was completely in control, I just needed some time to process another new face. Her eyes fogged as she looked.

"They will be here in six minutes. They would have been quicker, but Edward took the volvo." She explained. "Bella doesn't like to drive fast so he left the Aston here."

"Two questions. One; How in the _heck_ can she not like driving fast? And two; What kind of Aston? I love those cars!"

"Vanquish. If anything happened to that car, I swear Edward would curl up in a ball in a dark room and never come back out!" She laughed loudly at the thought. I laughed with her. I loved my cars. All of them. But I would never be devestated by the loss of one. Well, maybe the Zonda, but the others I could live without. I think. "And Edward driving fast terrifies Bella. Best get her here without the panic attack." she added seriously.

"Lets get inside, you need to be changed and presentable."

"Yes Mom." I replied sarcastically. I followed her into the house to get changed and wait.

I was nervous again. I sat in an unfamiliar house, around an unfamiliar dining table with six unfamiliar vampires, waiting on a seveth unfamiliar vampire with an unfamiliar human. Most of the past eight hours had been unfamiliar to me. Weirdly, I was enjoying myself. The banter and talking didn't stop all night about every subject I or we could think of. And now, after 8 hours, I was speechless. I heard the tyres from the car turn from the hard black highway, to the soft brown dirt driveway. They were about two miles down the road when I could hear their voices.

"Look, I don't care. I hate surprises. You know that. Just tell me already. " A small voice said. it was soft but still human. That was Bella. My mind provided me with the name automatically.

"I know you do, love. Trust me Okay? You need to see this." Edwards voice was the epitomy of reassurance. "Everyone is already at the house. Its is just someone we want you to meet." This clearly piqued her interests, but the car had stopped in the garage by the time Bella responded.

"Meet who? I don't understand." She was getting annoyed now.

"It will be quicker this way, Bella. Come on.". I heard him pull her towards the front door.

It swung open lightly and the wind carried the warm human scent across the room. I had hunted three times in the past two days, My eyes were the lightest shade of gold, but the scent still hurt. My throat burned dully and my mouth filled with venom. I swallowed it back and held my breath. Her scent was ridiculous. Freesia and lavender and utterly mouthwatering. I was in control, sure that I would be able to make a run for it if I had to. I listened to the two sets of footsteps as they crossed the living room. One was graceful and light, almost musical. The other was heavier and clumsy. The difference between the two was comical. I waited till they were just outside the dinig room before pulling in a small breath through my nose. Ouch. Fire ripped through my throat. This was going to hurt.

"Edward," I thought "It's ok, bring her in."

The two different footsteps found their way around the corner and stopped at the doorway. I registered Edwards face first. He scanned the room for thoughts that would suggest danger. His posture was slightly tense at first but relaxed out when he was sure everyone was ok. I turned away from him to look at the source of my current discomfort. The perfect little human on his arm blushed wildly. She was perfect though. Her skin was like ivory silk. The blush gave her the most beautiful colouring. Her long mahogany hair hung straight from her head and down her back. Her eyes were nothing short of astonishing. Two pools of warm melted chocolate staring out under thick lashes. She was breathtaking.

"Bella, " Carlisle broke the slightly awkward silence in the room by adressing her. "This is Kali. She was passing through when Edward, Alice and Emmett ran into her while hunting. I believe she will be staying with us for a while." I smiled widely and Bellas eyes shot towards my face. I knew what she was looking for. I opened my eyes just a little bit wider for her and waited for a second until she registered my light gold eyes and watched her as she sighed with relief.

"Hi, Bella. How are you?" I asked, my voice soft and holding out a hand to shake hers. I knew this was the way to do it. Let her come to me. I didn't want to scare her. She took two steps forward, turning to look at Edward. He smiled at her reassuringly and she took the final two steps towards me and wrapped her hot little hand around my stone cold one.

"Hey, Kali. Welcome to the family."

And with that, I was **_home_**.


	4. Waiting For Fate

Chapter 4.

Waiting for Fate

"Emmett, we are NOT playing Twister. Last time, you nearly crushed Bells, you threw Jasper through a wall and Edward chased you in the woods for seven hours to try and kill you."

"Esme, its alright! No-one got hurt last time."

"Not the point Bella. I said no." Esme metaphorically put her foot down. The discussion on what board game to play ended right there. No questions, no talking back, done. As much as Carlisle was the everyday voice of authority, I could tell Esme was the one you did not want to push past her impressive limit. This woman would take no prisoners.

We had been in each others company all day. Literally, from when Bella arrived that morning till now, 7:30pm. It had been a fabulous day but it was time for Bella to go. I didn't want her to leave. I really liked her. She was warm, and caring and delightfully funny and sarcastic. Unfortunately, her father would finish work in twenty minutes _(Thank you for the schedule, Alice_) and she needed to go. She gave everyone a hug and a kiss before she stood in front of me. I held my hand out for her again, being careful to make no sudden movements. She seemed comfortable around me, but best not push the human. She looked at my outstretched hand with a slightly offended look on her face.

I flashed my eyes to Edward and through him a quick, mental _"What the hell did I do?"_ He just shook his head, and turned back to Bella. She was biting down on her bottom lip nervously. I had noticed her doing this before. It was a stress-induced habit. She never released that lip until she had made her decision. She walked forwards slowly, side-stepping my hand and wrapping her soft, warm arms around my marble waist.

"Well, this is new..." I thought, looking at Edward, whos lips were pressed into a hard, laughter supressing line, as I folded my own arms around her gently. I _really_ didn't want to hug her to death. That would have been stupid considering the effort I had put into that plan all day.

"It was so lovely to meet you, Kali." Bella whispered into my ear. Honestly, she could have said it on the other side of the meadow at this volume and I would still have heard it. I leaned away to get a better look at the perfect little human. The look in her eyes was something I had never seen before.

It speared me to the floor. I felt a million different emotions in that one split second. So many that I felt like I was drowning. I _**was**_ drowning. The feelings hit me like a tidal wave and crashed, washed over me. I struggled to re-surface. It took me a while to get my head above the 'water'. When I did, everything had changed. I had changed. I gasped a needless and pointless breath as I let go of Bella. It physically hurt to let her go. I wanted wrap her up, bury her behind me and protect her from everything and anything that might harm her.

As I looked around the room, I saw three faces that looked different from the other four. Alice looked like she would explode with happiness, literally explode with it. She was bouncing on her toes and her eyes glistened slightly. She turned to look at her mate, Jasper. His shoulders were hunched. The onslaught of the emotions I was feeling were too much for him. He was trying to calm himself, but couldn't. Edward was standing next to me. I heard him give a little 'oh' as he looked into Jaspers head. He saw what Jasper was feeling from me. He knew what happened. He should probably explain it to me.

I was barely keeping myself afloat. The flood of feelings were threatening to crush me at any moment - It was like fighting gravity. In a way I was. Gravity shifted. This family, the mother, the father, the children and the human became my everything, my sole reason to walk the earth. Every single fibre of my cold dead body was anchored to this family. It was terrifying.

"Kali..." Edward whispered. Bella looked confused as all hell, as did the other non-gifted vampires.

"Sorry," I struggled out. "Scent got a bit much for me then. I'm ok. just going to go outside. Fresh air and that." I turned towards Bella. "It was nice to meet you too Bella. I'm sure I'll see you again soon." I turned heel and walked out to the back porch. I needed breathing space, and quite a bit of it. I was about to take off, when Alice hopped through the door.

"Bella is gone now. You can come back inside." She said, holding out her hand for me to take.

"Actually, Alice. I'm thinking I might head out. I've been here for nearly two days. Wouldn't want to overstay the welcome..."

"Nonsense. You are fine. If my vision holds up, you will be here longer than that."

"What do you mean, Alice?" Carlisle joined us outside, like we were having a meeting. "How long?"

"For quite a while actually, Carlisle." Alice said confidently. "Esme will need to re-decorate the spare room next to Edwards."

"Alice, you shouldn't make presumtions like that." He chided. The disapproving look on his face was soul destroying, in a matter of speaking.

"But Carlisle..." Alice pleaded. Her face bearing a ghost of the devestation I was starting to feel.

"Alice, It is not your place to decide all of our fates." He said, using his natural authority to silence her. "This is something that affects the whole family. You cannot invite someone to live with us while the others haven't been asked. Two of them aren't even here!"

"I've _seen_ it Carlisle. Besides, She wants to stay."

"I know that, but you can't make this decision for everyone, Alice. It's not fair."

"Um... Do I get a say?" I murmured. Not entirely sure I would be listened to. Carlisle and Alice froze at the sound of my voice. Their heads turned to me and I suddenly felt very self concious. I never missed a beat though. I had to say what I wanted before I ran.

"I'm glad to havbe met you guys; All of you. I like you all but I won't be the source of any fighting. I will go. No, don't interrupt me Alice." I said holding up a hand to stop her talking over me. "I will leave you my mobile phone number. Once you have managed to talk about things, call me. I will come back and hear the decision. I do want to stay. I don't think I have wanted anything this much in my whole life. But there are other people to consider here. I'll wait for your call and I will come back to hear your decision."

I ran then. I hadn't run that fast for decades. I was escaping. Escaping the misery of hearing them reject me. Escaping the uncertainty of their decision. I wanted to be with them, of course, but I wasn't sure that I was ready to be part of such a wonderful and loving family. I didn't stay in Forks. I couldn't. They had my number and could call me with their decision. I got in my car and drove. I shot down the winding driveway and hit the motorway at a rate that was mocking the imposed speed limit. The windows were down and the wind ripped through the car, clearing my head. The engine provided the only noise as my rarely over-crowded head worked overtime to process everything that had happened over the past two days.

I may have been able to run indefinitely, but my car couldn't. I only stopped once on my way back to Seattle. I pulled into a suburban petrol station about forty miles from Seattle. Due to the fact that this stations usual clientele were station wagons and mini-vans, my car was sure to get attention. Just what I needed at 11:30pm on a Saturday night. I pulled up, shut off the engine, opened the door, flipped the filler cap open and had the nozzle in the car in less than twenty seconds. There was people about or it would have been a lot faster. Only one other car on the forecourt should have made this a quiet fill-up. With the luck I was having today, I should have known better.

"Hey beautiful! I like your car..." The words were falling out of the mouth of one of the passengers from the other car. I flat out ignored him, turning my head and focusing on the numbers whirring on the pump. They were going slow on purpose, I swear to God.

"Hey, beautiful! I said I liked your car!" The voice was outside the other car now. The smell of alcohol in the air and coming from him was repulsive. I turned my head to look at the person who decided yelling at me was a good idea. Oh, fan-bloody-tastic. Frat boys. Four of them, three drunk and one designated driver who was nowhere to be seen. I wondered where he was only to be distracted by the slurring drunken wreck that was now staggering towards me.

"Look, I'm not in the mood, okay? Just get back in your car." I told him. My voice was firm, but not challenging. I wasn't in the mood to knock out drunken humans. I wasn't sure I had the control necessary at that moment to stop myself putting my fist right through his head. I turned my head back to the numbers again. I didn't notice until he had done it- Until I felt the hot touch and the dull itch at the back of my throat.

"Look, gorgeous, come and party with us!" He suggested, the words all mashing together as he struggled to form them. His hand tighetened around my wrist. He must have been completely out of it because the touch and temperature of my skin should have scared him miles off.

"If you plan on keeping that hand, you **_will_** take it off of me." My voice was quiet enough but I made sure that every syllabel promised very graphic violence.

"Aw, don't be like that honey! Come party!"

"Last warning. Let. Go. Off. Me. _Now!_" I spoke very slowly, enunciating every word to make sure he understood. My eyes flashes and venom surged beneath the surface of my skin. I was so close to losing it. A low and dangerous growl began to build in my chest. He slowly lightened his grip and removed his hand from my arm as his face twisted in anger.

"Well, fuck you too, FREAK!" he spat as he turned and staggered away. If it wasn't so infuriating, his attempt at anger would have been hysterical. He actually thought _he_ was dangerous? I let out a low, strained chuckle I knew he wouldn't hear as I finished filling up. I walked across the forecourt, paid the attendant, and made my way back to the car. I had barely turned my head when the smell of alcohol was near my car again. What the fuck was this idiots problem?

He was leaning against the driver-side door, waiting for me to approach. I barely noticed that. All I could focus on was that tis drunken, insignificant human was leaning against my baby. MY car!.

"Are you brain dead or do actually have a death wish?" I asked, walking towards my car.

"Look, freak! You are coming to party with us!"

"I don't think so, now move."

"No. make me, freak"

"Suit yourself."

I made my way closer. I rolled my eyes as I watched him come towards me with the most ridiculous smile on his face, thinking he had one. I was around tenft away when I smiled at him. My vampire brain was good with all kinds of calculations. Tension, velocity, mass, impact... they were all calculated in the time it took for me to walk the last two steps towards him. Without missing a beat, I took the final step and aimed on very well placed, and carefully calculated fist into his solar plexes. Hard enough to hurt, but not to injure. He collapsed in a heap, cursing breathlessly as he writhed on the floor. I leaned down closer to him, ignoring the putrid smell of the alcohol, to whipser in his ear.

_"If you get off the ground before I leave, I will take your fucking head off."_ I promised. He didn't reply to me. He just gawped at me, mouth hung open and clutching his stomach. I shoved him out of the way with my foot, opened the door and got in. I had the engine going in about a second before I hit the accelerator, wheel sopun and lifted the handbrake, causing me to shoot off onto the road, spraying the drunken moron with dirt and dust. I had the biggest smile on my face as I glanced into the rear-view mirror to see the idiot on all fours still clutching his torso. Human could be complete imbecils. No other species opn the entire planet would even think about trying to provoke a vampire and think they could win. It was definitely a laughing point.

The hilarity ended relatively quickly as I hit the motorway again and I was alone. I remember the last 36 hours and wave of sadness crashed over me. My foot pounded the accelerator again. The sooner I got home, the sooner I could hit the forest and let out some of these feelings. I was pulling up in front of my house before I fully realised I was here. Another wave of sadness struck. If I could have cried, I would have. I shook my head, got out of the car and headed to the house. I hadn't been here for two days, I needed to shower. My body didn't secrete oils or odours, but hunting and running took its toll. I could smell smell human and alcohol off of my clothes too. I stripped off on the way to the bathroom, got in the shower and hit the hot water.

I'm not sure how long I stood under there. Long enough that my body was nearly human temperature, without the tempting bounding heart. Water ran down my forehead, collecting in the corner of my eyes, forming the tears that my dead body wouldn't let me cry. I felt more lonely now than I had for the past four hundred years. I saw where my future was. I didn't know if I could walk away from it. The thought that I might have to was killing me. I got out of the shower, dressed and headed downstairs. CNN was still on the TV that I didn't switch off. I sat in the chair, placing my mobile phone on the table next to me. I sat and waited.

**_RING RING. RING RING._**

I looked at my phone with mild surprise. I had meant to move from this chair a couple of times over the past three days.

_**RING RING**_

I moved my hand, making it hover over my phone.

**_RING RING RING RING_**

I picked up the phone, pressing the answer button. I held the phone against my ear and waited for my fate.

"Kali, It's me, Alice! How are you? It took me a moment to remember how to speak.

"I'm alright, Alice. How are you?" I was slightly surprised that my voice was so even, considering I hadn't spoken in seventy-one hours and sixteen minutes.

"I'm great! Could you come by the house tonight? We all want to see you" I could imagine her bouncing up and down on her toes.

"Sure, when do you want me?"  
"After dinner, about six pm? Its a school night, so Bella has to be home early." Her trilling giggle caused the corners of my mouth to pull up into a half smile. Her enthusiasm was infectious. "Wait, It will be 5:49pm we will see you." Annoying little pixie!

"Oh, and Kali, wear the green one. It will look lovely with your hair." And with that, she hung up. I sighed quietly to myself. Green what? Iwent to my master bedroom and started getting ready. New jeans, biker boots, leather jacket... green shirt or red shirt? Remembering Alice's advice, I plumped for the green one. For what I knew, Alice was the one to listen to when it came to clothes. Thinking of the phonecall I had recieved, I began to think about Alice's family. The seven oddly matched vampires and the one extraordinary little human. The human. Crap! I would need to hunt again. Just remembering Bella's scent set my throat to a dull ache.I grabbed the first set of keys I could lay my hands on, not noticing which car they belonged to and shot out of the door. I settled quickly into my BMW One Series and pulled out of the driveway, racing at speed towards the place I was hoping to call home.

I was in Forks again. I parked my car in front of the police station again. I took a short walk to the trees just beyond it and broke into a run as the jade canopy covered me. I hunted quickly. According to the clock in the car, it was 4:22pm. I had about ninety minutes to hunt and get to the house if I wanted to beat Alice. I didn't need much, I had literally done nothing for the past three days, It was more of a top up than anything else. A couple of Elk did the job nicely. When I was full and sloshy again, I turned around and I was back in town in record problem was, I now only had thirty minutes to get to the house. I got back into my car and shoved the keys in the ignition. I was just about to turn the key and head off when I heard a human heart thudding next to my car. I looked in the mirror to find a police officer walking up to the drivers side of the car.

"Good evening Miss. How are you this evening?" The policeman eyed me with slight suspicion. I mentally screamed at myself for parking here. Stupid place to park in the middle of the fecking day! I would have to turn on the 'charm' to get this one done with quickly. I smiled widely and batted my eyelashes once. I dropped the natural scottish accent for a reasonably brash american one. I hated this part. I liked my accent.

"I'm good, thank you sir. How are you?" I drawled.

"Just fine thanks." I watched as he blushed. the red colour seeping up from his neck and onto his cheeks. "Haven't seen you around before though." Slight accusation peppering the words.

"Oh, I'm just visiting some family outside of town. The Cullens?"

"You know the Cullens?"

"Sure do. Carlisle is my Uncle." I lied smoothly. I would have to warn them about that one. Do you know him?" I asked innocently.

"Yep. He works at the hospital in town. My daughter dates his youngest son." I could hear the grudging tone of his voice even as he tried to hide it from me.

"You're Bella's father? Bella swan?"

"Yeah. You know my Bells?" I looked at his face as he spoke and instantly saw the resemblance. Bella had the exact same eyes. Warm melted chocolate, as deep as water wells.

"My Aunt Esme talks aout her all the time. She sounds brilliant. I'm getting to meet her this visit. I have missed her the last couple of times I came here. I'm looking forward to meeting her." I offered, Hoping to get this conversation finished. I glanced at the clock, twenty-two minutes left.

"Yeah, Bells is fantastic."

"I don't mean to be rude, sir but..."

"Call me Charlie, hun. "

"Thanks Charlie. Its just that, my Aunt and Uncle are expecting me. I'm already running late." I said, putting just the tiniest hint of panic in my voice.

"Oh, sure thing..." He was looking for my name. I hadn't told him that yet.

"Kali. Kali Douglas Cullen. "

"Okay Kali, You tell Esme and Carlisle I said hi. "

"Will do, sir. It was nice to meet you." I said cheerfully, waving as I buzzed the window back up. I pulled away fromt he curb and took off at a sensible, human pace. It wasn't until I hit the motorway that I opened the engine up a bit. I was pulling into the huge driveway soon enough. 2 minutes to clear the drive. I checked the clock as I arrived at the front door of the house... 5:48pm. Ha! Pixie got it wrong. I got to the door of the house. Before I could even knock, A shock of spikey black hair appeared in the doorway.

"Kali! Right on time!" Alice declared, ushering me inside. I checked my watch. 5:49pm. _DAMN IT!_

"Remind me never to bet against you Alice." I said ruefully.

"Come on in!" she squeaked and I allowed her to pull me into the living room and, ultimately, my fate.


	5. Moving and Shifting

Chapter 5

Moving and Shifting.

"Yes." The soft, human voice said.

"Absolutely!" Came the second, pixie-like voice.

"Hell yes!" The Deep booming bass of the third voice sounded out.

"Why not?" The fourth voice sounded utterly bored.

"Yes." Said the fifth in a calm and calculated manner.

"Of course." Compassion and love pouring from the words that the sixth voice spoke.

"Definitely." Said the seventh with seriousness.

"Yes." Said the eight and the last. The authority unmistakable.

I stared at the eight people assembled around me and I stood frozen to the floor. They said yes. I stood staring like a complete moron. Not staring, Gaping like a complete moron. Gaping at the family that had just voted to keep me as one of their own. The voting had been surprisingly unanimous,The voted to allow me to stay with them. I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. I couldn't actually think beyond the shock of being allowed to be here. After what seemed like a century, I managed to force out two little words.

"Thank you."

I was barely finished them when I was assaulted by hugs and kisses, some warm and comfortable; and one very hot little one, from my family. Well, that would take getting used to... family.

"So, what now?" Bella asked as a grin spread across her face.

"Uh, I'm not sure." I answered honestly. I was positive that I was supposed to be here. I just wasn't sure what to do now that I was.

"Alice, it's too late to for shopping." I snapped my head round in time to watch Edward roll his eyes at my new little sister.

"But she needs them!" She argued right back, hands on hips.

"Who needs what?" I was confused. I just got given the most amazing gift. No-one on the planet had more than I did right now. What else could I possibly need?

"Kali, Alice wants to take you clothes shopping." Rosalie offered, still sounding as bored as ever. Apparently, Rose didn't need to be a mind-reader to know where Alice's thoughts were heading.

"Is her taking me shopping a bad thing?" I was still puzzled. I liked to shop occasionally. How could it be a bad thing that she wanted to take me?

"Kali, it is important you understand... Alice is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to shopping. It is not to be taken lightly." Edward warned. I nodded once in response and turned to Alice. Her eyes glassed over and she started to jump up and down, clapping her hands. She grabbed hold of my hand and pulled me towards the garage door. "You asked for it Kali..." Emmett teased as I was pulled towards the cars. She pulled me towards Edwards Volvo.

"Oh no. We are taking mines." I protested, pulling her towards my car now.

"Edward's is faster." She argued.

"Mines has more boot space." I countered.

"Fine, but I'm driving." She squeaked as she bolted to the drivers side. I wasn't fast enough. she was in the seat, buckled in and her eyes glassed over.

"Sit there all you like munchkin, but I have the keys." I muttered smugly.

"Who said I needed Keys?" Alice asked knowingly and proceeded to hot-wire my very new and very expensive BMW. Stupid annoying pixie. She was done within ten seconds and was tearing it down the driveway at a speed that was highly illegal with a wall of black steel that was the trees zoomed past us on either side.

* * *

The others had been right. Shopping with Alice when unprepared was horrifying. If I didn't have Vampire stamina, I would have caved after half an hour. Three hours into this pioneering voyage into retail therapy, I called time on the expedition. Both Alice's and my own credit cards had took a hammering, the car was practically groaning under the weight of our endeavors. My new little sister was unstoppable; complaining strongly when I wanted to go home. The only way I could get her to give in was to promise her that I would let her come to the Seattle house and ransack my wardrobe. I was already regretting the decision before I was finished saying it.

"Esme will come with us!"

Alice's eyes were clouded. She shook her head, re-focusing on the present. She had been scanning the future to see how difficult I would be. I was surprised to hear that Esme would be coming. "Apparently, she thinks I need to be kept under control." Alice pulled a face and I laughed at her. If Esme was coming, she was probably going to get a lot worse. The shopping would seem like a spa trip by comparison. I made a mental note to start hiding half of my clothes before I let her into the house. "Don't even bother, Kali. I will find out where you put them as soon as you decide anyway."

"Bloody pixie!"

Alice was too busy compiling my summer ensembles to bother responding. I just drove. I was glad I was able to drive. Driving my own car allowed me to feel a little normal. Today had been so extraordinary that this little piece of normalcy was really very helpful. It never occured to me until three days ago that I might be allowed another family. I had already lost two... I didn't see how it was fair that I got another one. But I had and I was going to fight for it with everything in my considerable arsenal.

I was so preoccupied with my thoughts that I hadn't noticed we were getting near the turn off the the Cullen's house. Alice actually shook me to get my attention, pointing the the gap in the trees. I nodded once and turned off and drove up the uneven dirt road at a considerable speed. I steered the BMW into the garage and parked it in the empty space between a black Mercedes S55 AMG and an enormous red jeep.

"Kali, you might need to move this in the morning if you park here. Edward likes to park here."

"Tomorrow is Wednesday. Wednesday is a school day. Edward can park somewhere else. I ain't moving it." A wide grin came to Alice's face

"Oh, Kals, there's hope for you yet." she stated, climbing out of the car.

"Oi, pixie! Did you just call me Kals?"

"Yeah... I saw you wouldn't mind it."Alice said, slightly panicked by the look on my poker face.

"I've never had a nickname before... I kinda like it." I said, smiling as I patted her on the arm and helped her with the bags.

Esme was adamant that she take the Mercedes to the Seattle house. She was certain that me and Alice were not to be trusted driving it as it topped out at just under two hundred miles per hour and we would attract attention to ourselves. More than one sounding of 'spoilsport' was heard because of that one. It didn't take us that long to get to the Seattle house. Maybe about twenty minutes longer than it would have if we had vampire driving speed on our side. It was maybe just after eleven pm when we got there and the house was lit up like a show home. A small "Oh" was heard from the drivers seat as we approached the front door.

"This is a beautiful home, Kali." Esme stated, not quite recovered yet. I found it funny, they had a gorgeous house in the middle of a meadow and countless acres of land around it. The only difference between the two was that they had a river and I a reasonably large duck pond... why wouldn't I have the same type of home as them?

"Thank you Esme. Would you guys like the tour?"

Esme and I walked slowly around my over-sized house. Alice politely declined the offer and demanded access to my wardrobes immediately. I shuddered internally at the thought of what she was doing with my clothes.

"She will eventually give up on you." Esme said, seeing the distress clearly on my face.

"When did she let up on you?"  
"Soon hopefully." she replied, letting out a delicate snort.

"Kali!" Alice called from upstairs " You need to talk to Jasper when you get back about documents if you want to enroll in time!" I rolled my eyes. Of course the pixie knew that. Esme looked perplexed.

"I was thinking about going to school... Kepping up appearances and all that. I'm going to have to do something. I ran into Bella's father earlier when I was coming to your house. I told him I was your niece and I might be staying a while."

Esme beamed at me. "Jasper knows a very good forger. I'm sure he will be able to get the paperwork organised for you." she offered, venom creating a teary sheen over her eyes. She was ecstatic.

"Um, sure... if you think he can." I smiled back at her. "Incidently, when are we heading back?" I asked, eager to get 'home' and spend time with my new friends.

"I'm not sure. Alice?" Esme said.

"Sixteen minutes. I'm just putting together some ensembles for you."

"Oi, pixie! I'm perfectly capable of dressing myself!"

"Kali, you didn't have me to help you before..." she concluded in a very final tone.

"Is there any point in arguing?" I asked, sure that I didn't want the answer.

"No." Esme and Alice said at the same time, causing me to burst out laughing, conceding defeat.

* * *

"Jazz, I swear to God, If you don't knock it off, I will have Alice dress you as a girl for the rest of the year!" I said, yawning loudly.

I hadn't yawned for over half a millennium so it took me a moment to recognise what it was as waves of lethargy crashed over me. Playing chess with Jasper was a hazardous activity. It normally involved several bouts of mood control, a military mind, threats of extreme violence and balls of steel. The man was ruthless in the pursuit of a win.

"All's fair in love and war, Kals." He grinned, finally easing up on the emotional manipulation. I slapped my own face a couple of times then shook my head to clear the cobwebs that Jasper had so recently festooned there. I focused on him and shoves a strong sense of shame towards him. The grin fell off his face Immediately, replaced with puppy-dog eyes and a down-turned mouth.

"Damn it, Kali!" he growled.

"You started it, brother. Do you want to play match the mood or do you want to play chess?"

"Chess."

"Then it's your move Blondie." I teased, ruffling his curly hair.

The game had lasted for four hours when we called time on it. We weren't done yet and with no end in sight, we took a break. Nine chess boards were set up in a three by three configuration. After the first quick, one hour game that we had for educational purposes, (I had to learn Jasper's rules for this, the most complex chess game I had ever played.) I found that I loved this game. There were two hundred and eighty eight pieces at the start of each game and there were about half of that left now. Both forces had sustained heavy losses with key players being taken out.

"You guys better wrap that up. Bella will be here soon." Alice called from the other room.

"Alice, she will be here in two bloody hours! Quit it!" I retorted, frowning at my ever-annoying little sister.

"Yes, and I have to assemble your outfit."

"I don't need you to 'assemble my outfit'! I have been dressing myself for six hundred and two years. I WILL MANAGE!" I yelled militantly.

"Kali, you shouldn't fight her on this one." Jazz murmured. I stared at him with complete incredulity. "She usually wins these things." He explained.

"I don't care. I ain't playing Kali Barbie with Alice." I said stubbornly. I crossed my arms and pouted like a petulant child.

Alice had already spent two hours preparing ensembles for me to try on. I had agreed to try on a couple, but my couple and Alice's couple differed somewhat. I sighed internally, accepting defeat. Maybe if I let her away with it this time, I would be spared the next.

"Yay!" Alice called out in victory.

"Kali, before Alice kidnaps you, can I have a moment of your time?" Carlisle said from his study. There were two floors between us and I could hear him like he was whispering in my ear. I stood up from the chess game

"Be right there, Carlisle." I said, turning to face Jasper. "No cheating!" I warned him, pointing a finger at his face. He just chuckled and shook his head.

"Scout's Honour, Kals." I nodded once and went upstairs to the study.

This was the first time I had been in this room. I scanned it, memorising everything. The biscuit coloured carpet was thick and soft. The walls were partly paneled by a darkly stained oak. The parts of the walls that were not clad in wood, were given over to the endless books and paintings that were present. The artwork was flawless, of course, but was arranged in no real order that I could see. I assumed that Carlisle would have a reason for this organisational pattern. One of them did grab my attention though. Relatively small compared with the others. It was the painting of a lion standing on top of a banner that bore three clover leafs. A hand was held above the lions majestic mane like a crown. I pulled my eyes away from it to look around some more. The large mahogany desk which filled the central space had an array of office and personal items on it. On one side of the desk, two high-backed red leather chairs were present. Even as a vampire, I thought they would be comfortable to sit on. On the other side of the desk, the object of my attention was trying to claim it. Carlisle was sitting behind the massive desk, his hands clasped over a fat book that he just lifted his head out of.

"What's wrong, Carlisle?" I asked, worried by the serious expression on his face.

"I wanted to talk to you privately, Kali. You have been here for just over a week now and I wan..." I blocked him out. This was it. Oh, God. He had gotten sick of me and wanted me to leave. My dead heart felt like it was breaking, shattering like glass.

"It's okay, Carlisle." I said, interrupting him with a very small voice. "I understand. I'll say goodbye to the others and leave." Just saying the words out loud was too painful to bear. Devastation rocked my to my core.

"Kali, I'm not asking you to leave." He reassured me. The comforting tone of his voice was reflected on the features of his glorious face. "I'm going to tell you more about our life here so that you will be safe to come and go as you please." Relief crashed around me, threatening to knock me over.

Carlisle smiled at my reaction. He took one deep breath before he began to speak again. "Kali, We are able to exist here because of our lifestyles. We forsake our very nature to allow us to hold on to a degree of our humanity. It allows us to love and live in the human world. We settled here once before this, around seventy years ago. We came across a Native American tribe called the Quileutes. Their ancestors at some point diverged from humanity at a genetic level. Stop me if I confuse you." Carlisle offered.

I simply waved my hand for him to continue. Genetics were science. Science was good. It was facts and facts that couldn't change. I liked them.

"Some of their young men" Carlisle continued. "when they reached maturity, had the ability to shift. They could change from human form into that of a wolf. The shape-shifting _is_ genetic, passed from father to son for generations. The shifting gene lays dormant for the most part. When it becomes active, however, the change happens."

I felt my eyebrows rise until it felt like they were almost hiding in my hair-line. I was staring at Carlisle like he had three heads. And with good reason. What he was talking about what ridiculous and I was NOT buying it.

"Your face tells me you are having trouble believing." Carlisle interjected, with slight amusement playing on his face. "But I promise you, it's true. There are a pack of wolves about twenty miles away in La Push that could testify to that."

"You are talking werewolves, Carlisle." I said, fully aware of the skepticism in my tone.

"No, I am talking shape-shifters. They do not pass on the ability through biting. It is genetic."

"Okay, say that I believe you..." I bloody well don't though. "Why are you telling me?"

"The Quileute wolves have one natural enemy." He stated plainly.

_Oh, you have **GOT** to be kidding me?_

"Carlisle, _please_ tell me that you are kidding when you say that the possible shape-shifters located not twenty miles down the road are our arch enemies." I almost pleaded with him. It would be typical of my luck, however, if what he was saying was true.

"No, Kali. We are able to co-exist with them because of our lifestyle. Their number one goal is to protect their people and other humans. As we pose no threat to humans in this area, we have a treaty in place which prevents them attacking us." His words made my diamond hard skin crawl.

"We don't hunt the humans so they don't hunt us?" I summarised. "In a manner of speaking, yes."

"Are we safe?" My vampire mind started buzzing with possibilities. Mostly about my new family being harmed in anyway. Just thinking like that brought on a bloodlust that I didn't experience often and didn't like to. I couldn't control it.

"Yes we are safe because of the treaty. They don't cross into our land and we don't cross into theirs. They are aware of seven mature vampires that belong to this family. To add another, requires meeting with them." He said in a somber tone.

"Carlisle, I am enjoying spending time here. I am not alone here. I felt a shift when I came to this house. When Bella shook my hand for the first time, I changed." I told him in a small voice. "But I will not be the source of any danger to you. I will not put your family... _my family_ at risk from a pack of teenage boy-wolfs. I will leave if I have to."

Those last words nearly pulled me under. Just thinking and saying them felt like I was burning.

"You won't be asked to leave, Kali." he said. I looked into his eyes and saw an odd spark in them. "You said you felt a shift. A change?" he asked excitedly.

"Yes."

His new found enthusiasm threw me a little. Weirdly thankful for the subject change, I allowed this line of questioning. "What changed?" He asked, his eyes flashing with intrigue.

"I did." I stated flatly. It was true. Every single dead cell of my body had been altered by this, most wonderful of families.

"I don't follow you, Kali"

"It's hard to explain, Carlisle. After that first night, after the first handshake with Bella, everything that I was moved. The anchor that held me in place moved to the center of this family. I felt like I belonged here. I loved this family before it accepted me. The emotions were so strong, Carlisle. I felt like they were drowning me. When I surfaced, I felt bound to you all; like this was where my whole existence had been preparing me for being. I was sure, in that second, that this was where I was always supposed to end up."

Carlisle looked slightly shocked, but oddly, unsurprised. "Do you know what that was?"

"I have seen it before with others of our kind, Carlisle. I know what it means."

"And that is?" leaning forward eagerly, despite himself.

"It means that even if you told me to leave, if you forced me to go, I would never be able to. I would always be around in some way. My heart belongs to this family. I feel like I found my soul again when I found you all. I would kill and be killed to protect this family." He was going to think I was nuts. He kept his eyes on my face as he templed his fingers over his book.

"I will write a letter to the leader of the Quileute tribe to inform him that you will be staying with us for the foreseeable future. As a mature vampire, you will have to bear the responsibility that being a Cullen entails." Carlisle's voice was firm. "You will respect and adhere to the treaty restrictions and stay off of Quileute land and avoid hunting there." He was accepting me. I was part of his family. I had a family. The thought caused a lump to form in my throat.

"Would you like me to inform the Tribal Leader that you are a part of this family and will be staying with us?" He asked, placing the choice firmly in my hands.

"Oh, God, yes!" I almost shouted in his face. I jumped up, arou8nd the table and pulled him into a fierce hug. Carlisle, after getting over the shock of my sudden movement, laughed and squeezed me. He let me go and took a step back.

"Edward and Emmett will take you out later tonight and show you the La push boundary line. You are not under any circumstances to cross that line. If you did, war would break loose. Do you understand?"

"Yes, _**DAD**_." I said in a sing-song voice, then burst out laughing. He chuckled with me then shooed me out of his study. I knew why. Bella would be here soon and I still had to endure my make-over session with Alice. I could only pray that I made it out of there alive.


	6. Muffins and Shoes

Chapter 6

Muffins and Shoes

Watching TV while Emmett had the remote was something to behold. The channels whizzed past at a rate way beyond that of a human, normally resulting in us watching some form of sport or ending up mentally twitching at the speed the channels flew past at. It was a chore to try and keep up with his channel-surfing, but it was nothing compared to the sixty minutes of slow torture that I had been subjected to at the hands of Alice.  
I had been pulled , prodded and poked. I had been dressed and redressed twenty times until Alice found the perfect outfit for me. I knew she was messing with me. She would have saw the finished ensemble in a vision before I even entered the room. Bloody pixie.

After what seemed like an eternity, I was released from my couture nightmare. She had settled on a bottle green halter top (Apparently, green was my colour), Black, fitted leather jacket and ridiculously tight jeans in the most astonishing indigo colour. She finished off Kali Barbie play-time by stuffing my feet into five inch high heeled boots. I was five foot seven inches tall. I didn't need the height. I figured that I would be about two inches shorter than Edward in them. I had considered arguing with Alice, but after some rushed and honestly terrifying remarks from her brother and her mate, I conceded defeat and took the punishment like a good soldier.

"Emmett..."

"What's up?"

"I was talking to Carlisle earlier. He told me that you and Edward would take me out to show me the treaty line."

"No problem, Kals. I'm going hunting tonight anyway. I'll take you out. Although, I could just point in the direction you need to go and tell you to run. You would know when you hit it."

"How so?"

"The wolves fucking stink!" He said, chuckling. I laughed with him for about two seconds until a stern voice called from the kitchen.

"Emmett McCarty Cullen! If I hear you speak like that again, I WILL wash your mouth out." Esme sounded lethal. The laughter immediately died and was replaced as apologies were murmured. While he was distracted by feeling thoroughly ashamed, I snatched the remote for the TV out his hand and ran to the other side of the room.

"Give it back, Kali." Emmett's voice was low and steady. The boy meant business.

"Emmett, I have sat for the past hour and watched you flip through the channels in a manner that I can only describe as seizure-inducing. I want to watch the news for five minutes. Is that okay?"

"The news is boring.!" He complained, throwing himself across the sofa like a petulant toddler.

"Oh, get a grip, Emmett." I grumbled, turning the TV over to CNN. I hadn't watched the news for almost a week now. I had been preoccupied with the whole 'I just got a family thing' to pay attention to the outside world. Emmett pouted. I burst out laughing."Emmett, just give me five minutes and you can go back to watching sweaty grown up men chasing balls around a field."

"Bite me." He hissed. I was too distracted by the newsreader to pay any more attention to his huffing.

The situation in Seattle was getting worse. A lot worse. They were at fifteen dead and twelve people missing. It was not looking good. No human was that proficient a killer. Even multiple humans would struggle to pull this off. I had been here for almost two weeks now and since then, the murders had doubled. Something was definitely wrong. I would have to talk to someone about it. There was a link somewhere that I was missing and I just couldn't get a hold of it. I needed to talk to the others about this. Carlisle first though.

"Emmett..." I said, turning to face him. He was staring pointedly out of the window. God, he was worse than a child sometimes. "Emmett, if I give you the TV remote back, will you answer me?"

"Maybe."

"Em, come on, man." I pleaded, tugging at his shoulder playfully.

"Fine." He held his hand out for the remote. I placed it slowly into his hand, an impatient hiss slipping through his teeth at my speed. I laughed once the remote had touched down and Emmett immediately resumed his quest to look at every single cable channel in the space of three minutes.

"What is it you wanted to talk about Kali?" He asked, his expression infinitely calmer now he held 'The Buttons'.

"Oh, I was just wondering what time Carlisle was due home at?"

"About eight thirty. Why?"

"Hmm. Could you give me directions to the hospital? I need to talk to him about something."

"Like what?" His eyes tightened.

"Do you want me to pull out the 'woman's problems' card or do you wanna just give me the direction?"

"You don't have 'womans problems'." He stated confidently.

"No, but you might have _woman_ problems when Rose finds out you took out her BMW last night."

"You _wouldn't_!" He gasped in horror. The one thing you did not do was touch Rosalies BMW M3.

"You think so, big boy?" I teased.

I didn't recieve an answer. At that moment, the sound of tires hitting soft dirt rang through the house. Bella and Edward were here now. I stood up from the sofa that I was sharing with Emmett - When I say sharing, I mean that he was sprawled over it like a ragdoll and I sat on a tiny little square right at the very end...after I punched his head to get him to move over. - And moved over to the front window. I watched as the silver Volvo hurtled into the garage and heard the brakes scream in protest as it stopped. "I swear to God Edward, If you do that again..."

"Sorry, love. Everyone is just anxious to see you."

"Is Kali still here?" Bella asked tentatively.

"Yes, of course she is."

"Brilliant!"

"Kali, you're killing me here..." Jazz complained, holding his head in his hands. I could imagine that he felt my excitement, love and awe for this little human girl. "Kals, I'm begging ya. Please! She loves you just like she loves the rest of us. Chill out!" Jasper demanded.

I tried to do that. I focused on the light bulb of all things. Watching as the single white hot light from the filament shattered into the full eight colour spectrum. The colours merged seamlessly into one another. Red into orange; into yellow; into green; into cyan; into blue; into violet and then finally ultra violet. I liked the last one the most. Humans couldn't see it, but vampires could. It was an astonishing colour that there really wasn't a description for. I could almost taste it. It was very odd indeed.

"Much better, Kali. Here they come." Jasper said, placing a hand on my shoulder, which seemed to magnify his calming effect.

"Thanks Jazz." He simply nodded and looked pointedly at the door. I watched as Edward trooped in, Bella bringing up the rear and holding his hand. I shifted my gaze towards Bella. Her smile was unfaltering. She let go over Edward, walked across the room confidently and hugged me around the middle. Venom flooded my mouth and I held my breath against the scent of her. As soon as I was positive that I had 'The Beast' under control, I sniffed once through my nose. Fire. Lots of it. But manageable.

"Well hello to you too!" I said in surprise. "How are we today, Miss Bella?"

"Good thanks, you?"

"I'm alright actually. Esme is in the kitchen sorting out sandwiches for you."

"That's nice of her. I didn't get the chance to eat anything before I came out." She stated, walking with me to the kitchen. Entering the kitchen was like hitting a wall of sewage. Even though everything was raw, uncooked, it still smelled vile. My nose scrunched and I shook my head to clear the smell out of my nose. Bella noticed my discomfort and smiled apologetically.

"Don't worry about it, Bella. I've smelled worse."

"Kali," Bella asked, taking in my appearance for the first time. "Did Alice get to you?" Sympathy rolled off of her.

"Could you tell? I've decided to go to a toy store and buy her a couple of Barbies. They will at least be more compliant than I am."

"I heard that!" Alice's voice rang out from somewhere inside the house.

"You were meant to, Pixie!" Edward and Bella both laughed as Esme handed Bella her sandwich and hugged her shoulders. "Actually Alice... I have to go shopping before the weekend is out, and I'm sure that I can out-last you during a whole day's retail therapy."

You could have heard a pin drop. For two whole seconds, the entire building was silent, save for the steady thump of the human's heart. Then the house explodes. Waves and coughs and spasms of giggles, laughs, chuckles and guffaws rocked the very foundations of the house, causing them to vibrate pleasantly.

"You're _nuts_." Emmett stated, bounding into the kitchen. I shrugged my shoulders and waited for Alice to confirm our plans.

"Be ready for seven AM on saturday." She stated, calling from upstairs in a very business-like fashion.

"Anyone want to bet on the outcome?" Emmett asked, shoving his big hand into his pocket to retrieve a wallet.

"Ask Alice what direction you should be betting in." Edward suggested.

"Like she is going to tell him." Bella quipped.

Direction. Directions. Oh yeah...

"That reminds me. Esme, could you give me directions to the hospital? I wanted to talk to Carlisle about something and I'm going to swap cars anyway. I figured I would drop in." I could tell from Edwards stare that he was trying to get into my brain, so I treated him to a very rousing rendition of the Scottish National Anthem.

"**_Oh Flower Of Scotland, When will we see your likes again?_**" I sang loudly in my head. If Edward could have blushed from anger, he would have.

"Oh, of course dear! Hold on one second." Esme said, smiling.

_**"That fought and died for, your wee bit hill and glen"**_Edward's face was priceless.

_**And stood against him; Proud Edward's army"**_

The perfect mixture of confusion and frustration. Esme had returned with a piece of paper and a basket of something hot and honestly, smelled like dog sick.

_**"And send him homeward, to think again." **_

Edward's face twisted again. He tried to straighten it out before Bella would see, but she caught him just before he could manage it. Her head swiveled and looked at my apparently amused state.

"Kali, are you keeping him out?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because he was being nosy." I stated plainly. Bella erupted into giggles and Edward just scowled at me.

"Feeling patriotic, Kali?" He said, annoyance thick in his voice.

"Decidedly so."

"Kali, the directions to the hospital are here and these are for the nurses at the hospital. Those poor dears work so hard all the time." Esme said. I took the note and walked towards the door with the basket at arms length. Whatever was in that basket smelled like it had died months ago.

"Bells, what time are you here until?" I asked

"Um... about nine thirty? Curfew is at ten." She huffed. Oh, the trappings of being a human teenager.

"I'll see you when I get back then." I said.

I didn't turn around to talk to the person I wanted to.

"_Edward_," I called out mentally. "_I'm sorry, I will tell you about it later, once Bella is home. Okay?_" He simply nodded his agreement and shifted out of the way to allow me to pass by him.

"Good luck on the muffin run." he said sarcastically as I headed out the door. I threw him a quick, mental _'fuck you, kid.'_ and climbed into my car.

I had gotten a few snide remarks about this car when I had picked it up the other day. Turns out, it was the best option for today. My '_disposable_' car, the Ford Ka was never going to stop hearts or break any records, but it was the car in my current collection that I didn't mind losing if need be. If the reek that came from these muffins was anything to go by, I wasn't getting that smell out of whatever car I took, so best make it the one I cared least about. I dumped the offending articles in the boot of the car, got in and took of at the speed that the hairdryer on wheels that I was driving considered to be it's top speed. The smell coming from the boot was nothing short of monstrous. This car would HAVE to go.

It didn't take long for me to get to the hospital, despite being challenged in the car area. Esme's instructions were easy to follow and I soon found myself in a corridor with a long row of doctor's offices and a nurses station at the end. As I walked past the dark wood doors, I noted which one bore Carlisle's name and continued onto the nurses station to drop off the toxic basket. I could smell the reek of it on my clothes. Ugh.

"Can I help you dear?" One plump, older nurse asked me, eying me suspiciously.

"I'm looking for my uncle, Dr. Cullen? I'm his niece, Kali."

"Oh. Of course, sweetheart. Hold on a second." She got up from her chair and scooted down the hall to Carlisle's office. After a quick discussion with whoever was in there, she shuffled back towards me.

"He is in his office dear. Fifth door down on the right." She offered with a smile.

"Oh, these are for you guys." I said, shoving the basket of muffins at her. "My Aunt Esme sent them down for the nurses."

"God Bless that woman. She always does things like this. Tell her we all said thank you."

"Will do. I'll see ya later!" I said cheerfully before skipping down the corridor to Carlisle's office. All the lies and deceptions were annoying. I forgot just how bloody tedious they were. No wonder I spent decades at a time away from humans. This was hard work. I shook the thoughts from my mind and I knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in." Carlisle's voice called at human volume. Bloody pretenses. He could have spoken at this volume when I was in the carpark and I would have heard him. I walked into the office and closed the door behind me. I turned to find him sitting behind his desk, poring over a stack of patient files with his head bent down. When I turned to face him, he looked up, leaning over a fat medical text book and smiled at me.

"Kali! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Carlisle asked. He sniffed the air once and crinkled his nose. "Esme had you bring baked goods for the nurses again, didn't she?"

"Muffins." I replied. Just the thought of those noxious little demons make me want to throw up the blood from my previous hunt. A physical impossibility, but still- . Carlisle laughed at my facial expression but quickly steeled himself when he saw it change from disgust to worry.

"What's wrong, Kali?"

"I'm really sorry to bother you at work Carlisle, but I needed someone to talk to and everyone else at the house would freak out. Plus, Bella is there and I don't want to scare her and Edward would lose it..." I rambled. I wasn't sure if he caught anything that I had just said.

"Calm down. Start from the beginning." He suggested, clasping his fingers, like he did in his study. I noted this as his listening intently pose. I took a very deep and wholly unnecessary breath before I began.

"Its do with these news reports that have been heard in Seattle, Carlisle. Two weeks ago, before I left, I was disturbed by a news report about some missing people in the city. Six people went missing in the space a month. The two weeks after that, another six... like it was getting worse. The murder rate and missing persons count in Seattle was getting out of control. In the past week alone, five more have been found dead, and it isn't slowing down." Carlisle was statue-still as I spoke. He didn't interrupt me, so I continued to speak.

"The problem is, it's too good. There is no evidence _at all._ No forensics, nothing. Its too proficient for a human, or even, humans. They would have slipped up by now. Made themselves known."

"You think this is one of our kind?" Carlisle asked quietly.

"Its the only explanation, Carlisle. I only ever ventured into the city before I hunted, when my eyes were dark enough not to cause alarm. I never noticed anything unusual. I caught vampire scents but noting out of the ordinary. Seattle is a big city and there were bound to be either nomads or settlers there. I had been there for a year myself. Nothing came up until about two months ago. If it is one of our kind, Carlisle, we have a problem. A big one. Whoever it is, is getting themselves noticed in the _worst_ possible way. _They_ will step in."

"The Volturi." Carlisle correctly surmised.

"They can't be allowed to get that far, Carlisle. Its not safe. Your whole... _our_ whole family would be in trouble. I know that they already know of your 'unusual' hunting style and the size of the coven you keep. They know about Bella. She hasn't been changed yet. They will kill her. They will kill me for being around people who they perceive to be trouble-makers again. None of us will be allowed to survive."

I was rambling again. Not so much talking to Carlisle, but talking all the horrors out of my own head. I Sounded like I was pleading. I guess I was. I was pleading with Carlisle to tell me I was an idiot. I had survived the loss of my human family, my vampire companion, centuries of attacks from others of my kind and the one thing, the _only_ thing I was truly terrified of, was the thought of the Volturi being allowed anywhere near my family. I looked to Carlisle to tell me I was wrong.

No such luck. He stood up from his desk with a strange look on his face. "I'll be back in a moment, Kali." He whispered before ghosting it out of the office. I listened to his murmured conversation between him and another doctor. He was back in the room before I had chose to properly listen to what they were saying. He slipped behind his desk, bent under it, retrieved his briefcase and started loading papers into it.

"What's going on?" I asked, standing quickly and moving closer to the desk. I am sure I looked appropriately confused. I felt like my head was going to explode.

"I'm taking an early day, today. We are going home." He said as he snapped the clasps on his briefcase shut. He made for the door and I followed.

"Um, Carlisle...?"

"Yes, Kali?"

"Can I ride with you? My car absolutely reeks of muffins. I can't go back in there. " He let out a strained little chuckle before smiling at me.

"Esme's killer baking strikes again!" he quipped as he opened the office door. "Of course you can, Kali." He gestured to me to go first, like a proper gentleman and we headed home.

* * *

We had arrived back at the house in a time I would never have thought possible. This was due mainly to the fact that Carlisle, even by vampyric standards, drove like a total lunatic. We were never in any danger, of course, but still... I didn't know S55 AMG's went THAT fast. We didn't discuss my theory in the car, settling for small talk, like my decision to start school with 'the kiddies' on Monday and the shopping battle that Alice and I were preparing for. We drove into the garage and walked to the house.

Everyone was scattered around, pursuing their own hobbies and interests. Rose was browsing a car magazine, Emmett watched TV...again. I swear that boy would rot his naturally brilliant vampire brain if he watched anymore. Alice was fiddling on the computer with the design for a bottle green corset. I shuddered a little. Alice told me that bottle green was my colour. Jasper was reading War and Peace on the overstuffed chair next to Alice and Esme was sketching on a drawing pad. I could tell from the heat and the sound of classical music that Edward and Bella were upstairs.

"If I go up there, am I going to see anything that should be kept to a biology program... or late night pay-per-view channel?" I asked. Several stifled laughed pinged in the air.

"Won't make much of a difference." Emmett said, rolling his eyes and finally controlling his hilarity. "They don't _do_ anything." Pretty sure that in that moment, I should have kept my mouth shut. I felt suddenly embarrassed for the two lovebirds. The human and the vampire, surrounded by the sensitive senses that our kind were gifted with. Poor sods.

"I'll get changed first." I suggested, heading for the stairs. First order of business before I even took to the first step was to take these goddamn boots off. I loved Alice, I really did, but as far as every day vampire activities were concerned, five inch, spike heeled biker boots were _not_ appropriate.

"Don't let her hear you say that out loud." Edward said quietly from above. "Come on up, Kali. Bella is waiting to see you before she goes home."  
I took the stairs three at a time. I stopped at the room I was given after the 'Yes Ceremony' as Emmett had taken to calling it. Throwing my boots in without really looking where, I heard them connecting with the bookcase. I then stopped outside the room next to mines, taking a deep breathe. Announcing my presence for Edward before I knocked. I tapped the door lightly with my knuckle twice, careful not to crack the wood.

"Come on in Kals." Edward said cheerfully. I clutched the handle, pressing down gently and swung the door open.

It just then hit me that this was the first time seeing Edward's room. I had never come in here. When we hung out, we just kind of chose to go hunting stay downstairs. The first thing to hit me was the view. The stunning scene that played in the windows. The Olympic mountain range spreading out endlessly, touched only by the forest and the fast moving river nearby. The second thing I noticed was how this room was slightly different than the others. Decorated slightly darker, using several shades of gold and brown throughout. There was one wall in this room that was dedicated soully to music. CD's, LPs, cassette tapes. Thousands of them. Tens of thousands. A collection to rival my own. The last thing I registered was the black leather sofa. It was the last thing because it was the thing that i knew my attention would be focused on from this point onwards. This was mainly due to the fact that one vampire and one furiously blushing human sat on it, school books splayed around them.

"Sorry about earlier guys. Got a bit much for me." I said to them as I stepped around the now closing door.

"That's alright, Kali." Bella said "Jazz does it all the time." God, did this woman's compassion have no boundaries. I folded myself gracefully onto the floor, watching them. Bella was doing homework while Edward sat, playing with her hair.

_"Edward"_ I thought. _"When you drop Bella home. Come back here as quickly as possibly. we need to talk."_ His eyes reached the ceiling and then the floor. An affirmative answer.

"So, Bells, what you studying?"

"Calculus. Edward is helping me though."

"Why Mr. Cullen. I do hope you aren't helping this young lady with her homework?" I accused playfully, mock horror spreading over my face.

"I would never dream of such a thing Miss Douglas-Cullen!" He placed a hand over his heart, as if mortally wounded by such an accusation.

"Well if you ain't doing hers, can you do mines for me?" I asked, hoping Bella would pick up on it.

"You don't do homework." She said, confused.

"I do starting Monday."

"Huh?"

"On Monday, I will join the ranks of Forks high school."

"You are going to school with us?" She asked, excitement lighting up her face.

"Yep. There are only twelve weeks left in term, so I figure, why not? I haven't been in sixty years and Jazz did the paperwork for me."

"Brilliant. I will need to get a new car for going to school though. The Ka had to go. It stank of muffins."

"I'll help you." Rosalie said stiffly. My eyes widened. Rose offered to help me. _That_ was new... "We will go on Sunday." She stated. No problems here with that one.

"Well, I guess that is settled." I said turning back to Bella and Edward. "I'm going to go play more chess with Jasper. I have to go and find my purple skate shoes though. You guys seen them?"

"The purple and black ones?" Edward asked.

"Yes." I looked into his face...Alice. Alice did it. "What did she do to them?"

"I think someone may have sent them on a trip down the river."

"_Alice!_!" I was on my feet and hurtling down the stairs before Bella's laughs even cause the air to vibrate.


	7. Theories, Crests and Boundaries

Chapter 7

Theories, Crests and Boundaries.

Edward took Bella home shortly after 'Shoe-gate'. She made me swear on the Lamborghini that I wouldn't kill Alice, who had been remarkably unrepentant through the whole debacle. She claimed she was doing me a favour. In her opinion, I was too good to be wearing skate shoes. I in turn promised her that if she ever threw out any of my clothes without asking again, I would take great pleasure in cutting one arm and one leg off of every item of clothing she owned. After much shouting, hissing and slight cursing on my part, the new 'Show me what you are throwing out' treaty was spawned, hugs were exchanged and laughs to be had by all.

After the almost cat-fight, we waited for Edward to get back. I somehow drifted towards the stunning grand piano that stood in the hallway, like a gift from the gods of music. I perched myself on the end of the bench, staring at the keys. I loved all kinds of music. My personal preference reflected my physically and mentally twenty year old self and focused around rock and heavy metal music, which explained my current obsession with guitars. When I had my more mature head on, I was able to appreciate the classics. I loved piano music. I found it soothing and uplifting and soul destroying at the same time. Any instrument that could garner that much emotion from it's audience was a work of art. And the piano in front of me was no exception.

My fingers softly brushed against the ivory keys as I thought about the music that I liked and that inspired me. As my finger pressed down gently on one of the ebony keys, a tune started to take shape in my head. A quietly, sombre melody formed and I let my hands drift along the keys, pressing the ones which matched the melody in my mind. As my hands weaved their way through the profusion of notes, I felt Esme come and stand just behind me. The music's tone shifted and started to travel upwards, having more positive feel. Her presence never slowed me or distracted me and for a whole ten minutes, she stood stock-still and listened. When the piece came to its natural, slightly optimistic conclusion, Esme sighed and placed a hand on my shoudler.

"That was wonderful, dear." she breathed "Does it have a name?"

"Thanks Esme. And no, It doesn't have a name. Just a story, I think."

"Which is?"

"I suppose it is about finding ones place in the world." I said quietly, closing the lid on the piano and turning to face her. She beamed at me.

"I'm glad you found your's with us." Her eyes glistened and her face was almost fierce with the depth of her sincerity.

"Finally!" Emmett jumped off the sofa. Trust the bear to ruin the 'Hallmark' moment. In his defence though, Esme and I _were_ gushing. He had heard Edward's car hit the driveway. Two minutes later, one rather flustered and still strikingly handsome bronze-haired vampire came into the room and marched until he was six inches from my face. "Alright, spill it."

"Edward, can you please back up? I haven't been around anyone for decades and my personal space doesn't appreciate you being in it."

"Sorry." He said, just slightly too quickly to properly mean it. "What did you need to talk to Carlisle for?" Speak of the devil...

"Why don't we all sit at the table?" Carlisle suggested, appearing out of thin air. We all trooped into the Dining Room and dotted ourselves around the table.

"First off, I'm sorry if I alarmed anyone with my behaviour earlier tonight. I just wanted to make sure I got the facts straight in my head before I took them to anyone else." I said, staring at my hands, feeling seven pairs of vampire eyes glare at me. "I think we may have a problem. A big one."

"What do you mean?" Edward pressed, starting to lean towards me again.

"Have you been watching the news recently? Have you seen what has been happening in Seattle?"

"They have a killer on the loose."

"Well, yeah. Probably not a human one though." I quipped, waiting for the eruption of noise and shouting.

"What makes you say that?" Jasper asked, sliding into the room and sitting next to Alice.

"Apart from the fact that the killings are escalating and no evidence has been found and dental records were needed because the bodies have been mangled so bad not to mention the disappearances. Oh yeah, thats a human." I finished sarcasrtically.

"It's a rogue vampire then." Emmett said. "The volturi will deal with them."

"Therein lies the problem." I waited as the other vampires in the room unfroze as thy caught up to what I was saying. Emmett, on the other hand, still looked a little lost. "We don't want the Volturi to come here, Emmett. Think about Bella. They can't see her, not yet. "

"The best we can do is monitor the situation. If we need to hide Bella, then we will." Carlisle concluded.

"Gonna be honest with you, I will kill anyone or anything that comes near her with the intention of harming her. " I said softly and evenly. A couple of mouths fell open in shock, others smiled and one mashed down into a hard, giggle-surpressing line.

"That's slightly extreme there, Kali." Emmett said, forcing himself not to laugh.

"No, it's really not." I said flatly, before turning and heading for the door. "I'm going hunting, and I have a boundary line to find. Anyone who is going, shift yer arse."

"Kali. Hold on. Yes, Emmett, we will be leaving shortly." Edward answering his brothers unspoken question. He walked backwards towards Esme, smiling like a lunatic. Maybe my little outburst had tipped him right over the edge. "Alice, Calm down. God, you guys need to relax! Kali, before we go out, Esme would like to know how you feel about gifts."

"Huh?" I felt like a moron. I was gifted and so was he and two others here.

"Presents?" He clarified. Oh. Why would I need a gift? I got a new family two weeks ago. I had everything I could want.

"Um, honestly, I'm not sure. Haven't been given one in centuries. Although, I got a new family about a fortnight ago. Can't imagine what else I would need or want."

"If Esme were to give you something...If all of us gave you something,. Would you accept it?"

"Okay? It's not big is it? I have a feeling that I don't like big gifts." With that, Esme shot out of the room like a bullet. I turned to Edward and gave him my strongest '_What The Hell Did I Do_?' look. He simply shook his head and looked to the door that Esme was coming back through now. She had reappeared at the door carrying a little velvet box. She shot a quick look at Edward, who nodded once, and then looked back to me. Smiling, she took a couple of steps towards where I was standing and held out her hand, palm on her palm, the green velvet box was offered out to me.

"Kali, I wanted to give you this sooner, but Edward told me to wait until the time was right." She said, that same fierce sincerity was in her eyes again. Not only was the look back, but the strange glistening was putting in another appearance. I swear if she could cry, she would be doing it right now.

"Kali, It's a 'welcome to the family' sorta thing. Just open it. I know you will love it. " Alice chirped. Reluctantly, I did what I was told. I tried to keep out of my mind that I was never one for jewelry but Edward's face twitched into a quick smile when he heard my thoughts.

"_If you mention it, telepath, I will rip your ears off."_ I threatened silently.

The response I recieved was a quick roll of the eyes and another pointed nod towards the little velvet 'Elephant in the Room' box. I lifted it off of Esme's hand and felt suddenly like every pair of eyes on the entire planet was watching me. It was rather unnerving. I held my breath as I pinched the lid of the box gently with my fingers and lifted it. The hinges allowed the lid to swing back to reveal its contents. The breath I had been holding came out in one big whoosh. I was shocked into silence again.

Inside the little green box, nestled in pale yellow silk, was a necklace. It was stunning. Sterling silver chain who's simple links came to a point where a large oval pendant sat proudly. The design on the pendant was breathtaking. The shiny black onyx of the pendant swam around a sliver lion which stood on a clover covered banner. Above the lions head was a hand holding the number 'nine'. It looked like the lion was wearing a crown. I noted the design on the pendant and realised I had seen it before. Esme, Rosalie and Alice all had pendants like this. Emmett had a blet bucle with this on it. Jasper and Edward both had wrist cuffs with this design on the front and Carlisle had a small painting of it in his study.

"Kali, " Esme said quietly. "I know you haven't been here long, but I consider you to be part of this family and as such, I- We would be honoured if you would bear our crest." Now my eyes were stinging. They pricked at the corners, like the venom from my system was trying to escape through them. Still way beyond words, I stepped forward and pulled her into a crushing hug. My arms wrapped around her waist and squeezed harder than I probably should have, but wasn't reprimanded for it.

"Welcome to the family. " She whispered in my ear. Those simple words defrosted me.

"Kali Douglas Cullen." I said in a quiet voice before the sudden urge to laugh rocked through me. Snorts of laughter shook my whole body as I tried to compose myself. Esme took the pendant out of the box and placed it around my neck. She looked like she might explode with pride. It just caused me to laugh all the more.

"Alright, alright, _ladies_! Enough. I'm hungry, we have a boundary to show off and this is getting to be a whole load of greetings card, disney bullsh- ...**_OW_**!" Esme must have seen what was going to come out of his mouth, because she let go of me, and was next to him in less than a second and slapping up the back of his head. Hard. Her eyes flashed with anger.

"What was that for?" He complained, rubbing his head theatrically.

"I told you once already today, Emmett. Watch the language." She said coldly, giving him the unltimate in mommy death glares. I shuddered at how effective they were. Her facial expression was borderline violent. A soft and very subtle calm spread through the room as Jasper's tolerence for the atmosphere hit it's limit.

"Edward, let's get Emmett out of here before Esme dismantles him." I suggested, not taking my eyes off of Esme for a second. Her rage was glorious, if not terrifying. As I passed her, Alice handed me a small over-the-shoulder bag.

"You will need that." She said simply. I offered my thanks and grabbed Emmett by the elbow and hauled him outside with Edward.

"Come on Em, lets go find you a bear." I suggested. He nodded once, muttered a grudged 'sorry mom' and walked towards the river with Edward and I.

"You know Em, she is going to rip your tongue out one of these days." I told him, just as I was lnading on the other side of the Sol-Duc.

"How come you get away with it and I don't?"

"Because I am 'new' and I am British and we don't know better." I said, causing Edward to stumble on landing and laugh like a lunatic.

We only hunted for a couple of hours. Edward had to get back to Bella, so we only ran about half way up the mountain. We were not disappointed. One mountain lion for Edward, One for me and a rather irritable grizzly bear for Emmett. I almost lost it when he woke up the huge female bear from her sleep... by pulling her ears. Apparently, if they were angry, they were better sport. I watched intently as he wrestled with it before he sank his teeth into the hot, pulsing spot in her neck.

"Does he always play with his food?" I asked Edward, who was leaning against the tree closest to the boulder I was sitting on.

"Pretty much." Edwards replied flatly. He waited patiently for Emmett to finish, before tapping his brother gently on the shoulder.

"Time to go to the boundary now Emmett." He nodded and stood up out of his feeding crouch. Oh good God, the boy was a mess. Covered head to toe in dirt, fur and blood. I rolled my eyes, reaching for the bag that Alice had given me before I left. His shirt was left in rags after the attack on it from the bear. Inside was a fresh shirt, pair of combat trousers and a bottle of water. Thank you, pixie! I shoved the bag into his hand and spent the next five minutes, with Edward's help, trying to convince him to go into the woods a little to change. Emmett, was _not_ shy, about anything. He finally gave in though, and we were moving back down the mountain and heading west to the treaty line.

We maintained a reasonable pace, with Edward and Emmett taking the lead. As we ran, hints of something foul-smelling polluted the air. It smelled like dog, but even more ran further until the god-awful smell had increased tenfold. It hurt my nose and I scrunched my face to protect it. I looked to Edward, whose face mirrored mines and Emmett looked like he had stopped breathing all together. We came to a graceful stop in the middle of the woods.

"Kali, about thirty yards that way, " He said, pointing west. " Is the Quileute treaty line. I need you to memorise that scent and never get any closer to it than you are right now." His tone was firm and entirely understandable. I nodded and sniffed through my nose reluctantly. My instant reaction was to hold my breath and run as far away from the smell as my very strong vampire legs could get me. "If you get any closer than this, you will be in danger and so will everyone else. The wolves will not hesitate to attack any of our kind caught on their land."

"It's okay Edward. Carlisle explained it to me. I just need to-" My thought processes were interrupted by the sound of animals approaching, in formation, from the west. I heard their large, bounding hearts thud from the exertion of running. The ground trembled beneath us as their paws struck the earth. I peered into the woods, scanning for the animals, waiting for them to pass. But it would have seemed they were running straight at us. The wind shifted and, Dear Lord! The smell! It felt like I had been punched in the face. The putrid, rank smell nearly knocked me clean over. My whole face hurt as the wind continued to beat the stench into our faces. I instinctively held my breath and fought the urge to run in the opposite direction. Three large sets of eyes became clear about fifty yards away. They moved slowly forward until the difused moonlight caught against them and threw them into relief. Oh crap. Wolves.

"Sam." Edward acknowledged the wolf in front as I felt myself pull closer to Emmett, who wrapped an arm around my shoulders. The Sam-wolf itself was huge. The other two weren't that far behind it. they radiated heat, hotter than normal wolves. As much as their insane body heat and the loud thump of their hearts should have had venom dripping down my chin by now, I was completely repulsed. My instincts screamed at me to either run like hell, or kill them all. I honestly didn't know which scenario I liked best.

I watched as the other two wolves, made their presence known. An enormous rust coloured wolf came to the leaders right hand side and a slightly smaller grey wolf to his left, teeth bared and a low continuous growl issuing from it's chest. I instantly hated its stinking guts. The leader was nothing short of monstrous. Huge, covered in thick black fur and exuding authority over the other two. He huffed once and retreated into the cover of the trees. The other two held their place as the air around us shimmered slightly. I was about to throw out a mental "_What the fuck?_" to Edward when my answer walked back into the little meeting area. A dark-haired, slightly over-muscled man in demin cut off shorts and nothing else walked in between the two wolves and stopped just ahead of them.

"You have no business being this close to the treaty line, Cullen." He said, trying to maintain the authority that his wolf-self possessed.

"Neither do you, Dog." Emmett retorted, using the last word like a curse. Sam's eyes scanned over Edward and Emmett and rested on me. I did _not_ like him looking at me. I wanted to gouge his eyes out. My reaction brought me up short. Even as a savage, I wasn't this violent. I shook my head, trying to get control. I looked to Edward, who was filtering through the minds present. I thought and focused on his gifts, as my brain was immediately battered with noise.

_"Stupid fucking leech!"_

_"Is that a new one?"_

_"Must be one like them. Gold eyes."_

_"Treaty broken?"_

"No it isn't." I said, replying to the mental question. "The treaty is not broken. I am not 'new'."

"Sam, we don't want a fight. Kali, will be staying with us. She is our newest sister. She lives the same way we do and we are simply showing her the line, so she knows not to cross it." Edward reasoned, trying to calm people down.

"She understands the restrictions?" Sam asked him, still not addressing me. God, these wolves needed a lesson in manners.

"I am right here." I said, anger building in me again. "If you have a question, ask me, not them. Yes, I understand the restrictions. Yes, I know where the boundary is now. No, I won't cross it and no, I won't kill humans. Is there anything else?"

_"Why is sam letting that bloodsucker talk to him like that?"_

_"We should just kill it."_

A small hiss escaped from between my teeth at their new internal musings. Edward stiffened by my side. When he spoke, his voice displayed just how precarious his restraint was getting. his anger wouldn't hide itself for long.

"Are you so ready to break the treaty, pup?" Edward was losing control of himself.

"Edward, we should head back." Emmett said. "It's after twelve and Bella will be waiting for you." I never would have pegged him as a peace-keeper. I allowed it, because as much as I wanted to rip these disgusting things limb from limb, I _needed_ to get this under control and get out safely. My train of thought was derailed when I saw one of the wolves reactions to the word 'Bella'. The pain and anguish that twisted on it's face was clear, despite the fact that it was a dog. The russet coloured wolf was tormented by the mere mention of my new sister. I couldn't focus on him long enough to find out why. The leader, Sam, was walking steadily towards the trees again. The air shimmered once more and the two other wolves bolted from the little meeting area. A ear-splitting howl broke the quiet night air before cutting off abruptly and everything was still again.

"The shapeshifters?" I asked, not really bothered about who answered.

"Yep." Emmett replied "Can we go now?"

"Yeah, let's go home." Edward said. I didn't have to be in his mind to know he wasn't coming home tonight.

"Emmett, you were right about one thing, by the way."

"And that was?"

"The wolves to fucking stink." I quoted his earlier outburst, causing laughter to bubble through each of us before he took off for home, running full tilt.


	8. Shopping School

Chapter 8

Shopping School.

Saturday rolled around quickly. The time passed in a blur of fashion shoes, reading Shakespeare with Bella and playing chess with Jasper. I had a shopping war to win today and a car to buy tomorrow. Either way, I was in for a rough couple of days. I had been informed by Alice to be ready for seven thirty on Saturday morning. After refusing to allow Alice to dress me for the occasion, I was rebelling against the Little Fashion Nazi by embracing my 20yr old, metal loving side. Red hooded zipper, black tank top, baggy jeans and my new purple and black skate shoes (a la Alice). I looked like a typical teenager. Not bad for a multiple time Centenarian. One final look in the mirror and I was heading downstairs.

Alice was already waiting. She had been ready a while and had been bouncing up and down like a total lunatic since she appeared three hours ago. Esme and Carlisle had apparently given up trying to calm her down and opted for sitting quietly in the corner just gazing into each others eyes. They broke apart when they heard me come down the stairs and Esme's eyes zeroed in on the pendant that I was wearing and hadn't taken off since I got it. The cullen crest was staying on me for as long as I was living. I would die before I took this off. Esme's whole face beamed with joy at the sight and her hand flew to her chest and she held it over her heart.

"You ready to go, Kals?" Alice chimed exitedly. Honestly, if you could bottle her enthusiasm...

"It's only seven thirty, Alice." I said, trying to reason with her.

"Early start means more shopping."

"The mall in Port Angeles doesn't open for another two hours."

"We aren't going to Port Angeles. It's not big enough. Olypmia is a much better hunting range for us."

"Oh." was the only response I had for that little proclamation. I hadn't really considered the hinderances that a small city would place upon our impending war. After thnking about it, a bigger 'hunting range' seems very appropriate. That said, Seattle was probably better, but a complete no-go for now.

"Alice, what car are we taking today?" If today went like I thought it would, we would need a removals van.

"I spoke to Carlisle, begged him actually. He is letting us take his car, He will be taking the volvo and Edward will be driving Bella's truck."

"Oh, the poor bugger." I said in between giggles. I had obviously seen Bella's car by now. The old, red, rust-bucket of a Chevy truck was an abomination. By my calculations, it should have died a long time again ago and nothing short of the Hand of God Himself was keeping it alive. I half wanted to put it out of it's misery and buy her a nice little hatchback, a Corsa or a Focus or something, but Alice informed me that Bella would find a way to kill me if I did.

"Esme, please tell Edward he can borrow one of my cars today. Anyone he likes." She nodded and turned back to Carlisle with big doe-eyes. I envied that closeness. It was like they were communicating silently with each other. I didn't even have that with Euan. It made me more than a little lonely. I sighed, shaking off the feeling and and turned back to Alice.

"We should get moving."

"Brilliant. Carlisle, the keys?" Alice help out her tiny hand, waiting for daddy dearest to plop the keys into her hand. Once he had done so, I started to sway towards Alice, keeping my plans unfocused. I was about three feet from her when I decided to slap her hand upwards and run off with the keys. I did this, knowing she wouldn't have enough time to have a vision and stop me.

"I'm driving!" I squealed as I bolted for the door and streaked to the Mercedes. I was in the drivers side, buckled in and the engine running by the time Alice got to the car. Her tiny behind was in the car all of half a second before I gunned it down the driveway.

* * *

"The yellow one." I suggested as Alice held up two dresses. The yellow one will match your eyes.

"Hmm, this will require a new pair of shoes. I don't believe I have a pair to go with it." Alice mused, holding the yellow dress against her body again.

"Are you telling me you don't want to go shoe shopping Ms. Cullen?" I asked, mock horror twisting my face.

"Of course not. I just think I will need to order them online." She mused. "Jimmy Choo have a fabulous snakeskin stilleto in yellow that would be perfect." Her eyes fogged and I focused. Images of Alice sitting in front of a PC, hammering out an email to Mr. Choo himself rumbled through my brain. I squeezed my eyes closed, waiting for the images to go away.

"Alice, what the hell? Why are you going to e-mail Jimmy Choo?" She said nothing. She just looked at the yellow dress and shrugged. "Oh, the shoes." I said, smirking at her.

"Next shop?" She suggested.

"Bring it!"

It was after seven o'clock now. Six trips back to the car and it was officially groaning under the weight. The credit cards were screaming again and the mall was closing. Surprisingly, I didn't want to call it a day. I was, dare I say it, enjoying myself. Spending time with Alice, despite her disparaging remarks regarding my outfit, was brilliant. It made me feel young again. Not like the six hundred year old I actually was. After Alice declared a stalemate, we squeezed ourselves back into the overstuffed Mercedes and headed for home. We were about ten miles out when I was quickly told by Alice to mask my thoughts. The family had been placing wagers on the outcome of the shopping trip and she didn't want _anyone_ to have the heads up. I started going through the times table backwards, starting at a hundred times a hundred and working back the way. By the time we got into the house, I was on thirty-seven times forty-six.

"The answer is 1702." Edward called. I burst out laughing and proceded to start recounting every song in the AC/DC back catalogue instead. He rolled his eyes and gave up after I got to "Back in Business" fron the Fly On The Wall album.

"Right, spit it out. Who won?" Emmett demanded, hands fisted in his pockets. Alice and I looked at each other, nodded and at the same time declared "Draw."

Emmett's face fell, Bella's mouth dropped, Jasper just smiled and Esme and Carlisle looked ever the indulgent parents. Edward just looked around at everyone's faces and started laughing.

"Are you really trying to tell me that Alice didn't beat you?" Emmett asked, still baffled.

"I said it was a draw, didn't I?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yep." I let my lips pop on the 'p', emphasising it.

"Well, damn it." Emmett said, turning to his wife dejected and handed her a medium sized roll of money. She pocketed it quickly and headed upstairs.

"You, you and you." Alice said, glaring at her brothers. "The car needs to be unpacked and seeing as you are all perfect gentlemen, you can take our bags upstairs to the study for us." She said it in the sweetest voice she could have possibly owned and as much as she made it sound like a request, I knew for a fact that she had them by the short and curlies when the snapped to attention and filed out of the room and into the garage. I knew they only just reached the car when I heard a very muffled "Fucking hell!" escaped from Emmetts lips.

The evening passed in a flurry of outfit changes, catwalks and wolf whistles. This was apparently 'girl time' and I was loving it. Bella didn't seem to into the whole 'dress me like a doll' thing, but I put up with it just to spend time with my new sisters. Bella had to leave just before ten though, in keeping with curfew, so I spent a couple of hours playing chess with Jasper before he and Alice retired to their room for the night. Emmett was watching a late night sports programme, Carlisle and Esme were out of sight and Edward had gone to Bella's house. I knew Rosalie was going outside to the garage to check the Mercedes for suspension damage after mine and Alice's little outing today so I figured now would be as good a time as any to talk to her about our own little retail trip.

"Rosalie?" I called to her as I entered. Her perfect legs were sticking out from underneath the S55 . I sat on the hood of my BMW and waited.

"What can I do for you, Kali?" Her tone suggested she would rather eat a three course human meal than help me with _anything_.

"Just wanted to see if you were still up for the car hunt tomorrow? Alice said the weather will allow for it."

"What kind of car are you looking for?"

"Cars." I corrected. "I need one for school, nothing too flashy, you know? And I have an itching for something a bit sportier too." I barely concealed the excitement in my own voice when Rosalie slid out from under the mercedes with the biggest smile on her face.

"What do you have in mind?" she asked, finally interested.

"What would you suggest?"

"Tell you what, we will go to your house, figure out what you have and what you need and go from there."

"Sounds like a plan to me. Early start tomorrow then?"

"Whatever." This chick was bi-polar or something. Just as quickly as the interest appeared, it was gone and replaced with Rosalies usual distain-tipped indifference. She slid back under the Mercedes and continued as if I was never even there. Suited my just fine. Rosalie was difficult to talk to about anything other than cars. Maybe the shopping trip would soften her up a little. I would have to get her a gift to say thank you for helping me. I had already decided to rope Alice in and ask her for her advice. Knowing her, she was already formulating ideas.

* * *

"Kali, you HAVE to let me help you!"

"Piss off, Alice!"

"Kali Douglas Cullen!"

"Sorry, Esme."

"Alice, leave her alone."

"But, Esme, she needs my help!"

"I don't need your bloody help! Let me get dressed, will you?" There had been several arguements like this over the past twenty four hours. All of which had lead to raised voices, inappropriate language and scoldings from Emse. All because I refused, point blank, to be dressed like a doll for my first day at high school. I was having a rough time controlling my tension without having to endure that torture.

"Alice, just let me get dressed, by myself, this week. You can correct my mistakes next week if you like." I suggested. She looked at me through narrowed eyes, clearly doubting my ability to create outfits. Her eyes rolled in her little head.

"Fine." She huffed. "But be warned, I _will_ go shopping to rectify those mistakes."

"Honestly, I don't care. Buy a whole bloody shop if you want!"

"Don't tempt me, Douglas!"

"Like I could stop you anyway, Cullen." I teased, nudging her with my elbow.

"Right, Edward is going to pick up Bella in the Volvo in 13 minutes. I will be riding with you today." She informed me, her eyes unfocused.

"Guess I get to try out my new car then?" I mused. My trip out to Seattle with Rosalie had been a success on the car front. My everyday car was out front. Rosalie managed to convince me (Without much provocation) that trying to pick between two sports cars was pointless. The Mazda MX5 was waiting for me outside and the new Ferrari and Audi would be here in the next two weeks. Happy Kali was out and about today! So much so that Jasper had been following me, unconciously all morning.

"Jazz, seriously, stalking is weird." I said, playfully punching him on the shoulder.

"You are happy. Insanely happy. It feels good to be next to you." He explained.

"Aww, glad I could be the warm fuzzies for you Jasper."

"Kali, when your new cars get here..." I didn't need to be a mindreader to know where this was going. "Yes, Jasper. You can drive them. I'll take you to Seattle and you can pick one." I felt the excitement rolling off of him. At that moment, Edward barrelled through the front door to get changed for school. I looked at him questioningly.

"Just ask it, Kali." He said as he came back down the stairs.

"Ed, did you ever consider just taking clothes with you to Bella's house?"

"If I did that, you would never see me." His crooked half-smile on display as he teased me. "I need to get back to Bella or we will all be late."

"Ah, the old 'Ball and Chain.'" I interrupted. His smile grew as he pulled me into a hug.

"I'll tell her you called her that." He whispered threateningly in my ear.

"Yeah? And?" I pushed away from him, trying to surpress laughter.

"You won't be so smart when she kills you." He was trying to be serious. That was it. I just about exploded with laughter.

"You are all going to be late for school if you don't move it." Esme called from the kitchen.

"Yes mom." We all chorused, causing another round of giggles.

"Okay, okay. We are going now." Edward promised, answering his mother's mental question. He turned towards the garage and I heard the Volvo start. I walked into the kitchen to retrieve my car keys and Esme smiled widely.

"Have a good first day, dear." she offered, kissing me on the cheek.

"Thanks, Esme. I'll see you later." I said, about turning and heading for the front door. Alice was already by the car and waiting.

"Kali, just out of curiosity, how many times have you been through high school?" she asked as she slid gracefully into the passenger seat.

"British of American?"

"Both"

"Um... twice. this will be my third."

"Really?" Alice looked surprised.

"I preferred university." I explained, peeling down the driveway and towards my first day of scholastic achievement as a Cullen.

I pulled into Forks High School car park and stopped next to the Volvo. We were only seconds behind Edward and Bella by the time he had picked her up. Her dislike of speed put us at an advantage when it came to catching them up. We got out of our respective cars and met up round the back of them. Edwards mouth was mashed into that familiar 'I swear I won't laugh' line that bugged me so much.

"What the hell are you laughing at?" I demanded, trying to keep the edge out of my voice.

"Teenage boys." He replied simply. I groaned out loud. Urgh, I forgot about this. Hormones, lots and lots of testosterone and one very attractive Vampire. "Just tell me which ones so I can avoid them."

"Let's see... Mike Newton, Tyler Crowley, Eric... actually... most of the boys here." He said, like it was no big thing. I felt like smacking him one right in the smiling mouth. Bella giggled, placing a hand on my arm.

"It's okay, all the new girls get the same treatment." She assured me. I was put at ease for a second by her attempts to comfort me. That was, at least until I clocked Edward's face again and gritted my teeth. This was going to be a pain in the arse!

"Bloody boys!" I grumbled. "I need to go to the office to collect my schedule and stuff."

"I'll go!" Alice declared, linking arms with me and walking towards one of the small buildings that made up campus. I turned to say goodbye to Bella and Edward who were now kissing.

"It is way to early in the morning for that shit! Wait till her breakfast has settled before you try removing it with your tongue." Bella's face blazed bright red and Edward rolled his eyes. I stuck my own tongue out at him as Alice pulled me in the opposite direction.

"She is spending way too much time with Alice." Edward complained to Bella. I was furious! I thought of his gifts and nothing else. I pulled his ability forward and used it.

"Edward!" I thought loudly.

"What's wrong?" he replied in the same fashion.

"I didn't appreciate that. I like Alice. She helps me adjust."

"I know. If I could be there more, I would." Even his mental tone was slightly glum.

"How about a hunting trip then? Just you and me?" I suggested. I had spent a lot of time with everyone in the family, even Bella. But I hadn't spent a lot of time with Edward, mainly because he spent every second he had either with Bella or missing Bella.

"I think that might be a good idea, Kali." He thought. "I will talk to Bella."

"Alice will watch her and we will take mobile phones." I thought. We were a good hundred feet apart now and I was having to properly focus on his mind. Alice had taken to leading me through the school to get to where I needed to be.

"I'll talk to her." Edward replied. Alice tapped my shoulder to gain my attention.

"Shit, I'm losing it. Gotta go Edward." I thought, before something slipped and I was back to having just me inside my head. Alice was looking at me, clearly confused. I decided to tell her later and waited for her eyes to gloss over and her to nod her head. When she had saw my intentions, she lead the way into the office and up to the desk.

"Miss Cope, this is my cousin, Kali Cullen. She is supposed to be starting school today?" Alice said, clearly dazzling the poor woma with her perfect smile.

"Oh, yes. Hold on one second dear." Said the plump old lady behind the desk. She went to retrieve some papers for me to sign, which included a map of the campus. "Now if you get lost or need help, dear, just ask." she suggested. I scanned my schedule. Ha, all my classes were with Edward, Alice or Bella.

"I think I should be okay, Miss." I said, trying to pretend I was seventeen again."It looks like most of my classes are with my cousins, so they will help me. She nodded once, handing me some slips to sign and reminded me to hand them back at the end of the day. I thanked her for her help and set off to find my first class.

Spanish with Mrs. Goff and Edward. My spanish was perfect so I wasn't going to learn anything new in this class. I could feel the first pangs of boredom settle in my brain as I walked to class.

"Good morning, Can I help you?" Mrs. Goff said as I knocked the door. She was a thirty-something year old woman who dressed like she was twenty. It was hilarious and also, just a little bit sad. Her bleach blonde hair was tied away from her face in a desperate attempt at the 'sexy professional' look. It was tragic.

"Mrs. Goff? My name is Kali Cullen." I noted that every head in the room snapped to face me when I said my name. All except one remarkably messy bronze-haired one. I also saw that the seat next to him was empty. At least I would be able to sit somewhere I would be comfortable. "I'm supposed to start in this class today."

"Oh yes, of course." She handed me a book and pointed to my new seat. "you can sit next to Edward and he will catch you up." Edward's face bore the hilarity that he had carefully reined in.

"Gracias, Señora." I stated and moved towards the back of the class. The fact that I could speak perfect, fluent spanish had not stopped her throwing several questions in my direction to test my abilities. Edward found this to be ridiculously amusing.

"I'm glad I amuse you, Edward." I thought.

"Sorry, I'll stop." He responded silently.

"No, you won't." I realised it was a lost cause and focused again on Edward's gift to see what all the fuss was about. My brain felt like a truck had run over it. The impact of the twenty-odd peoples thoughts in here was almost painfully. I sifted through the boring stuff, homework, acne, detention, parents to get to what it was that set Edward on the made laughing fit he was desperately trying to get under control. It took me about thirty seconds to find it. human males, Teenage human males to be exact, are a bubbling cauldron of hormones at the best of times. In the presence of vampires, female ones in particular, this was more than evident. You could practically smell the need off of them. It didn't really surprise me that their minds would be well and truly in the gutter. What shocked me was how ofter my face popped up in the fantasies of the human males around me. Visions of my face, lips, legs, back stomach, behind, breasts... oh good lord!

I flung thoughts of Edward's gifts to the back of my mind and locked them there. I did NOT need to see myself like that. I cringed internally, knowing that it got a lot worse than what I had just seen. I turned to Edward and he had the poker face on. His eyes held the humour he wouldn't dare let onto his face. He turned to look at me and he lost it completely. He was able to disguise his laughter as a coughing fit before he attracted attention. I promptly stomped on his foot. Hard.

"One word." I thought venomously "One fucking word, and I will turn you into a bloody jigsaw. You hear me?" He nodded once and turned to look forward. After another twenty minutes, class was over. I stood up, gathered my things and checked my schedule again. I really didn't have to, but it was the human thing to do. Oh no! Gym class. Why didn't Alice warn me?

"Alice put your gym kit into your locker for you." Edward whispered as he passed me to go to him next class. I thanked him and Alice silently and headed out to my next class. I retrieved the kit and headed out to class slightly confused. Alice had places a pair of gloves in my locker with a little note that said simply "Wear the Gloves to lunch." Who was I to argue?

The whole morning continued like this. The high point had to be gym with Bella. She was, without a doubt, the most unco-ordinated human I had ever had the priviledge of watching. I was still trying to work out how she managed to beat people up unintentionally with a badminton racket when I walked into the cafeteria for lunch. Lunchtime in itself was interesting. I had been somewhat prepared for the 'new girl' effect. I remembered it from the last time I went to university about eighty years ago in England. This however was different. This was high school boys and girls, the epitome of hormonal chaos. If I was ever going to attract attention to myself, this was it.

I scanned the room, looking for either a Cullen or a Swan. I grabbed some food from the counter. I think the humans called it salad, personally, I thought it smelled like compost. I spotted a familiar shock of bronze hair and headed in that direction. Alice, Bella and Edward were sitting at a table near the edge of the room. What surprised me, was the fact that they were not alone. In fact, two more humans were perched on seats around the happened to see me first and tried to stand up to wave at me. She had however, managed to get her foot tangled up in the leg of the chair she was on and nearly face-planted on the floor. Edward caught her and I giggled, weaving a path through the students. The increase in their pulses indicated that they were either shit-scared of me, or that my earlier theory was more correct than I had anticipated. High school was just filled with perpetually horny people. Alice indicated to the empty space between her and the female human. I promptly parked my behind on the seat and threw out a very friendly smile.

"Hi there!" I said, not bothering to hide my accent. "I'm Kali. Edward and Alice's cousin." The girl's heartbeat rocketed as her subconsious screamed at her to back away from me.

Not wanting to be impolite, she extended a hand to me and mumbled "I'm Angela." Thanking Alice for the prior glove warning and shook her hand gently. I held out my hand for the boy who intoduced himself as Ben. After the introductions, Alice launched herself into 'Operation Make Kali the center Of Attention'. It was _not_ what I needed. I felt like beating her over the head with her Louis Vuitton bag. "Don't even think about it. It's vintage." she muttered under her breath. Lunch finished and surprisingly, I enjoyed myself. I didn't usually spend time interacting with humans, mostly because I found it painful in the throat area, especially before I was due to hunt. When the bell rang, I dumped the biohazard that was my lunch into the nearest bin I could find and headed off to my next class which was now Biology with Edward and Bella. High school was boring. I knew everything the teachers were telling me and I could have quite easily refuted half of the garbage they were spouting as truth or fact. How the hell those kids did this every 5 years, I will never know. I wanted to pnuch holes in the walls just so I had something to do. The relief I felt when the last bell rang was slightly intoxicating.

The biggest smile spread across my face as I practically skipped over to the office, pulling Bella with me. I had offered to give her a ride home in the shiny new car, but she looked downright horrified. "It's not you, I promise. It's just that... I ...um..."

"Just spill it, Swan. I'm getting old waiting." She burst out laughing and I had to wait a full two minutes before she recovered. "I just don't like being away from him."

"What about when he hunts?"

"It is difficult."

"Why?" I was thoroughly confused now.

"After Italy, I can't bear not being with him. I need him close."

"You know, Bella," I said, shifting closer to her "I don't believe I have heard the Italy story. I think you, me, a cup of coffee and a girls night may be in order. I'm clearly missing something."

"I'll talk to Edward." she promised as we headed back to the cars. She climbed into the car, and Edward took off. I shoved my way through the steadily growing crowd that surrounded my car and got in. Alice was already in the passenger side, rummaging in her bag. I studiously ignored the wanton gazes and possible drooling episodes that related to either the car or the two people in it, and pulled out of the carpark and headed home. Jasper was on the porch, playing a guitar when we got home. A vintage 1956 Martin Acoustic... the boy had impecable taste. I pulled the car up at the front door. I was going for a drive later and didn't see the point in shoving it in the garage just to take it out again. I was going to have to talk to Esme about another garage anyway.

"Kali, when you were at school, the Audi dealership phoned." Jasper said, placing the instrumental masterpiece on the porch. "Your R8 will be ready by next week and they will ship it out. I called the Ferrari dealership for you as well. Because of the custom paint, it will take a week longer than they thought."

"Thanks Jazz." I watched him as his barely contained excitement flared out and hit everyone in the area. I suddenly felt ricidulously keyed-up about my cars coming. "For God sake, Jazz. Calm down! Tell ya what? When it finally arrives, you can help me break it in."

"Really? Can I take it out first?"

"Now you are pushing it, Empath." I said, narrowing my eyes at him. He just laughed once and headed inside with Alice.

"Game of chess to see who drives it first, Kals?" Jasper asked, motioning towards the already set up board.

"I would love to Jasper, but I have homework to do." I said and pouted like a teenager. Japser laughed again and sat down to on the chair next to the computer and started to ready again. I walked into the kitchen to hang up my car keys, when I was confronted with Esme and a huge pile of laundry.

"Hello, dear! Did you have a good day at school?" She asked as she folded what was clearly one of Emmett's shirts.

"It was alright. I did learn two new things today though."

"And those were?"

"One; High school is boring. Two; teenage boys are sick in the head."

"That sounds about right." She chuckled. "Do you need anything in? I'm going to go for a drive."

"I heard you say you had homework to do. I think you should do that first."

"Yes, MOM!" I said, laughing as I ducked a pair of socks she tossed at my head. Esme laughed and went back to folding some washing as I continued to bore myself with my scholastic endeavours.


	9. She Told Me

_**Author Note:- Please excuse the shortness of this chapter. My character had missed a whole lot of Cullen history and I needed her to catch up quickly. I bullet-pointed the major happenings in the Cullen's lives because it was the only way to get through two and a half books worth of Saga without taking up two chapters of its own. That being said, Enjoy.**_

_**Oh, I don't own Twilight. I wish I owned The Cullen Boys though. ;-)**_

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Chapter 9

She Told Me.

"Have you sent out your announcements yet?" Angela had a slightly crazed look about her as she quizzed us all on our graduation arrangements. The poor thing had a look about her that suggested she was trying to squeezed thirty hours worth of work into a twenty-four hour day. As we sat around the lunch table, I realised that the whole school was buzzing with anticipation. There wasn't that long left until final exams, the seniors would be finishing school and everyone else moving up. The excitement was palpable, and altogether, quite nice. The slightly increased heart rates tickled the old throat a bit, but nothing unmanageable.

"Nope." Bella finally answered her frazzled friend " Renee knows when I am graduating. Who else is there?" The girl had a point.

"What about you, Alice?" Unsatisfied by Bella's apparent lack of work to do, Angela hunted for a new target.

"All done." Alice chirped. Lying little pixie! She did bugger all! Who would she tell that she was graduating from high-school for the ninth time?

"Kali?"

"Sorry, Ang. I got mines done already. Uncle Carlisle and Aunt Esme are the only family I have. They already know." I pitied the poor girl. She must have had a big family.

"Lucky you." She huffed. "My mother has a thousand cousins and she expects me to hand address each and every one. I swear, I'm going to get carpel tunnel doing it." Theory confirmed.

I feel slightly ashamed to say that I tuned oput of the conversation at that point. The story in the newspaper I brought to school grabbed my attention. The Seattle problem was getting worse. another two dissappearances in the last week and four more arson attacks. It was getting a lot worse. I focused on Edward.

"_Edward_" I thought "_Have you seen the newspaper today?_"

"_No._" he replied silently. "_Why?_" I quickly scanned the article again, so he could read it through my thoughts. I could tell he was picking up the same details I was when my concentration was dragged elsewhere.

"Alice? _Aaaaalice..._" Angela's voice interrupted mine and Edward's silent conversation. She was waving her hands not six inches from Alice's face. I could tell from my sister's eyes that she was a thousand miles away. Her eyes were fogged over and her face told me she was seeing something dangerous. I focused harder on her mind...

Images of a white blurr whizzed through my mind. Flame coloured hair, wilder than mines weaving in and around trees en route to Forks. A female vampire was winging her way here and she had a purpose.

"_**Oh shit**_!" Alice thought. I had never, not once, heard Alice swear, even in her head. This was bad.

"_Edward, whatever she is seeing, we will deal with it. Snap her out of it! Kick her in the shin._" I thought, all the while I pretended to laugh with the two humans who didn't know any better. Bella had gone a very unflattering shade of green. Edward followed my instructions and kicked Alice, who seemed to snap out of it.

"Nap time already, Alice?" Edward teased, keeping up appearances.

"Sorry, I guess I was daydreaming." She had at least recovered enough to pass off a half convincing smile.

"Day dreaming is better than two more hours of school." Ben offered. He seemed to grow more comfortable around us every day. I think it was just his subconcious dealing with the uncomfortable feeling that was brought on by being around us, and working through it.

"_Edward,_" I thought again "_The second we get out of here, you are going to explain to me what in the hell that was._" It was not a question.

"_Not in front of Bella_." He thought. I nodded once and threw myself back into the discussion at the table with a little more ferver than was necessary. I shovelled another mouthful of the hot dog (A.k.a rotting garbage) into my mouth and, like a good soldier, swallowed it. I instantly shuddered. Urgh. I would be gagging this up for days. No amount of blood was getting this taste out.

Edward had successfully avoided Bella's interogation all day. In fact, he went so far as to strike up a conversation with, of all people, Mike Newton. The boy's mind was a cesspit. Idont think there was a moment in all the times that I had the misfortune of hearing inside his head, that he wasn't thinking about sex or how 'hot' someone looked. What did that even mean? Since when did body temperature have anything to do with it?  
I walked with alice to the Volvo. We had started taking turns about driving to school. Whith only the four of us, it was pointless to take two cars. I had to hastily invest in a five door hatchback. A lovely little Volkswagon Golf GTI. Looked like a tiny, slow thing, but it was a bloody pocket rocket. It kicked the Volvo's ass on it's first time out. Rosalie was stuck under it when we left for school today and she was mumbling sonething about suspension springs and turbo-chargers.

I was roused from my own little daydream when I heard Edward offer Mike Newton car advice. Alright, something was seriously off. The only thing Edward would offer Mike Newton was a fist to the head under normal conditions. Something had both he and Alice spooked. I turned to Alice, with my face showing nothing but determination as we both climbed in the back seat of Edward's car.

"Alright, enough. What the hell is going on?"

Alice looked like she was pleading with me. "Please, wait till we drop Bella home. I promise I will explain everything."

"You better. We _will_ talk about this." She nodded as Edward and Bella got into the car. Alice went on full 'Distract Bella' mode.

"You're really not _that_ good a mechanic, Edward. Maybe you should ask Rosalie to take a look at it tonight, just so you look good if Mike decides to let you help, you know. Not that it wouldn't be fun to watch his face if _Rosalie_ showed up to help. But since she is supposed to be attending college across the country. I guess that's not the best idea. Too bad though, I suppose for Mike's car, you'll do. It's only with the finer tunings of a good Italian sports car that you are out of your depth with. And speaking of Italy and sports cars I stole there, you still owe me a yellow porsche. I don't know if I want to wait til christmas for it."

"You owe her a Porsche?" I asked Edward, slightly amused now. "How did that happen?"

"Alice did me a favour." Edward replied sardonically.

"It's a long story." Alice offered, giving me one of those _'Shut it and I'll tell you later'_ looks that were so popular around Bella. I also noted that Italy had been mentioned again. I would have to get that story out of Alice at some point as well. She nodded to me after her eyes unfogged. She must have seen that I was going to be asking a lot of questions and wanting, nay, demanding answers to each and every one of them. Edward's face froze as he heard my thought process and looked in the rear-view mirror at my face.

_"Yeah, you too, Mr. Mechanic. We will talk as well."_ I thought, staring at back of his head. He nodded and looked at Bella. I turned that way too and noticed that she hadn't actually said anything since she got in the car. She hadn't really moved either. She didn't look confused, or upset or even bored. She was determined. She know something was up and she was gonna get her answers, just like me. "Oh, you are in trouble!" I thought to Edward, barely containing my humour. _"You better have some good lies picked out."_ He nodded again and went back to the pursuit of driving. More distraction time was called for.

"Alice, did you know I have a Porsche?"

She squealed. "YAY! What kind?"

"I have a Carrera GT and a Boxter. I looked into the 911 a while back, but opted for a nice Mercedes."

"How do they drive?"

"They are fantastic. I will have to have one shipped over. Maybe the Carerra. The boxter doesn't travel well."

"You make them sound like horses." Edward noted, trying get Bella to break out of whatever thought coccoon she was in. It didn't look like he was very successful. We reached the mouth of the Cullen's driveway. Bella was still a million miles away and it took three attempts at yelling her name six feet from her head for her to pay attention. After she bid us fairwell, Edward took off and Alice and I headed up the driveway. The volvo was barely out of sight when I turned on my sister.

"Alright, spit it out. ALL of it!" I almost yelled. I had hit the limit. I couldn't and wouldn't tolerate people keeping things from me. Not after I exposed myself so freely to them.

"Kali, let's just get up to the house, first." Alice said softly. I knew she was trying to calm me down. I hated to admit that it worked, just a little bit. I huffed out a breath and rolled my eyes.

"Alice, you were terrified. I could feel it. I could hear it. Whatever you saw. Whoever you saw, has you scared shitless. If that is the case, this person is a threat. If they intend to hurt my family, it is best I be around things I am allowed to destroy... like trees."

"Fine. We will put the bags at the house and then go for a quick hunt." She relented. I took care of that for her. I took her very nice Prada handbag and put it in the same hand as my own rucksack. I looked up the drive once and swung the bags upwards and forwards. I waited for four seconds until I heard a dull little thud that told me I got them on the porch. Alice looked incredulous at the idea of me treating designer bags with such disrespect, but honestly, I didn't care. If she hurried up with the story telling, I would buy her ten of them, in all different colours. "Come on, lets get you away from the house." She suggested, pulling at my elbow. When we were about five miles out, she started talking.

_**She told me everything**_.

She told me about when Bella moved to Forks eighteen months previously.

She told me about Edward's bloodlust for her and his almost Herculian effort to keep his monster caged up and keep her alive.

She told me about Edwards fleeing to Denali until he got himself under control.

She told me about how he watched her sleep.

She told me about how he changed when he realised he loved her.

She told me about the visions she had of Bella's 'dual' futures. Vampiric and deceased.

She told me about how he introduced her to the family and the baseball game that follwed.

She told me about the nomads, interrupting the game and trying to kill Bella; About James, the tracker and Victoria, his mate. About the other one with them, Laurent.

She told me about the game James devised after he saw Edward defend Bella.

She told me about the cross country chases that culminated in Phoenix after James followed Bella.

She told me about the ballet studio where Bella was hurt, bitten and nearly died.

She told me about Edward fighting James.

She told me about how her, Jasper and Emmett ripped James apart.

She told me about Edward had to suck James' venom out of Bella's hand to stop her changing.

She told me about Bella's long and arduous recovery after the Phoenix incident.

She told me about Bella's now 'not to be mentioned' eighteenth' birthday party.

She told me about bella's papercut. the one single drop of blood that had cause Jasper to try and kill Bella.

She told me about the day edward demand that the entire family pack up and leave Forks to protect Bella from their nature.

She told me about Edward's self inmposed exile and the devestation it caused the family.

She told me about James' mate, Victoria coming after her and the Quileute wolves keeping her back.

She told me about Laurent coming to visit the Cullen's and finding Bella on her own. the Quileutes dealt with him too.

She told me about the six months of sporadic and hazy visions of a defeated and broken Bella screaming in her sleep.

She told me about the vision of Bella jumping off of a cliff and her hurried attempts to return to Forks to help Charlie Swan.

She told me about her surprise when she got to Bella's house and Bella was there.

She told me about the conversation she had with Bella and her morotcycle riding, cliff-jumping escapades and the werewolves she called friends.

She told me about rosalie telling Edward that Bella was dead.

She told me about her vision of Edward going to the Volturi and asking them to kill him.

She told me about the trans-atlantic race to get to Volterra before Edward was killed.

She briefly mentioned the Fabulous Italian sports car that she stole in order to get their faster.

She told me about the reunion of Bella and Edward.

She told me about Aro, the mind-reading leader of the Volturi, who couldn't access Bella's mind.

She told me about how interested Aro was in Bella's future abilities.

She told me about the condition Caius, another of the Volturi Elder, put upon their release from Volterra; That Bella either be changed, or killed as a human who knew too much.

She told me about 'The Vote'. The one where Bella's very mortality was decided upon. The outcome was that she was to become one of us.

She told me of the stipulation Edward had put on the decision if Bella wanted him to change her - Marriage.

She told me of the alternative, and current, plan. That Bella be changed after graduation.

She told me about he vision from earlier in the day. The crazed, red-headed vampire was Victoria. And she was coming back for Bella this weekend.

_**She told me everything.**_


	10. My Disgrace Expansion

Chapter ten

My disgrace / Expansion.

I was stunned. I actually didn't speak for about ten minutes as I tore my way through a good acre of forest, leaving a fifty foot wide path of destruction in my wake. I was pissed off. More than that, I wanted to kill someone who was responsible for half of that shit.

"Kali..." Alice said timidly. I was too blazing mad for her to get a fix on and she settled for talking to me. "Are you alright?"

"Alice, I can't believe half of the shit you just told me. How is that girl not dead yet? She should be. Think about it. Vampires and werewolves are her buddies. She has been hurt so many times and keeps coming back for more. How do we justify that?"

"We keep her safe." She defended herself and her family.

"Yeah, and so do the Boy-Wolves twenty miles away. Is she off her rocker?"

"That is up for debate on a regular basis. Your input would be greatly appreciated." She said earnestly. I finally cracked. This whole thing was nuts. I laughed my head off. I punched a giant Douglas-Fir and buckled as it crashed to the forest floor. The whole god-damn story was ridiculous. I couldn't control the laughter and I think I must have cleared the forest around us for a couple of miles. Alice eyed me like I had flipped my lid. I think I may have.

"You know, Alice, Romeo and Juliet haven't got shit on those two?" I pointed out as I turned and headed for home.

"Probably not." Alice conceded. "But Romeo and Juliet gave up. Edward and Bella haven't."

"They have fought harder than any other couple I can think of in real life or in fiction. Shakespeare himself would have had a fit over what those two nutters have gone through. No wonder he feels so strongly for her."

"He loves her with everything he has."  
"Yes, I am aware of that."

"I don't know if you are, Kali. You have to see it. I told you about it, but you have to see it. Even though she is human, she is his mate. His other half. You know what that's like." Alice said.

I suddenly felt cold. I didn't know what that was like. I loved Euan, I really did, but when he was killed, I never felt the compulsion to destroy myself afterwards. No sense of vengeance took hold of me, I grieved, but part of me didn't go missing. My heart didn't break. I think it was starting to now though.

"You know Alice, thinking about it, I don't think I do." I said in a quiet voice. "I loved Euan, but my world didn't end when he died."

"He was your companion then." She deduced clinically. "Do you mind if I ask why he was killed by the Volturi?"

"You really don't want to know. You might not like me quite as much if you knew."

"Did you have anything to do with what he did?"

"I wouldn't be alive if I had." I said fairly. It was true enough. I would have been slaughtered with him. I should have been for even knowing him.

"Then what did he do?" She pressed. I took a deep breath. I felt Alice take my hand and pull me to a stop. I couldn't bear to look at her when I said the words.

"He turned a child. He created an Immortal child." I whispered. I closed my eyes and I was back there. I spoke in whispers as I told Alice what had happened.

_I could see the Volturi chamber. Euan was standing in the middle, under guard. In his arms, was the most beautiful child I had ever laid my eyes on. A gorgeous little boy, about two years old. His blonde curly hair shimmered in the diffused light in the room. His pale skin was strong and hard. His face was immaculate and his eyes were a vivid, horrifying red. They almost glowed with their brightness. I knew instantly what this child was and I was terrified. Euan looked to me, pleading silently as he held the stunning child in his arms. I didn't move to them. I couldn't. My captors had brought me forward to kneel at the feet of Aro._

_"My dear. Do you know what your mate has done?" In my memory, his voice was as clear as it would be if he were right next to me._

_"Yes." I whispered. I knew who they were. I had heard the stories and I knew death was coming for me._

_"Did you know what he was planning?"_

_"No."_

_He held out his hand to me, palm down, like he was royalty. I realised that, in this sense, he was. He was the leader of our world and as such, should be treated that way. I took his hand and bowed my head. His gift blitzed my brain as images, every thought I had ever had in either of my lives was brought forward. I was shown Euan in the soft morning light of a Scottish sunrise. I was shown my first decade as a vampire and the destruction I caused. I saw my creator, in pieces on the forest floor. I relived the burning that took away my human life. I saw my first family, My husband... my son. Oh, God, my son! I broke. Silent, tearless sobs rocked my body ad Aro pulled my hand away._

_"How did you do that?" He demanded. I didn't answer. I couldn't stop the racking grief long enough to ask him what he was talking about. "How?" He demanded._

_"I don't know what you mean, Sir." I honestly didn't have a clue what was going on. All I knew was that Euan, MY Euan, had created an abominatin and we were all going to die._

_"You saw what I saw. Are you gifted?" He asked. His tone had completely changed now. Instead of the demanding, commanding tone from before- a calmer, more intrigued tone took its place._

_"Yes." There was no point lying. If he had been in my head, read every thought I had ever had, he would know._

_"How are you gifted?" He asked me, ignoring the calls from the ancient vampires to his right and left for my destruction._

_"I can mimic the gifts of others." I said simply. it was the only explanation I had for what I could do._

_"Can this be demonstrated?"_

_"I think so. I need a tangible gift though. One that either extracts aspects of a vampire or alters them. Your gift is the best example here." I had felt the gift coming from one of the ancients. I instinctively knew how each of the vampires in the room were related to each other and the strength of their bond. That wasn't useful to me though. I needed something I could prove._

_"Demonstrate this please." Aro demanded. The 'please' was for pleasantries sake, I was sure._

_"I need someone to test it on." I said quietly. One of the other ancients stepped forward. He was older than Aro, I could tell from his skin. He held his hand out to me in much the same manner as Aro had. I took his hand, focusing on Aro's presence and his gifts._

_Images and sounds and feelings flooded through me. I saw the most beautiful vampire I had ever seen. Her long flowing black hair fell down to the small of her back in soft curls. Her delicate frame was draped in the black cloak of the Volturi coven. Her eyes were the colour or red roses, deep and filled with spirit. Her ability to love was her gift. She and the one who's hand I held now were the greatest couple ever to walk the earth. The combination of their gifts gave them the strongest mated pairing in history. I felt the devastation, the gut-wrenching despair when the female was killed. I tore my hand away and a fresh round of sobs ripped their way through my chest. I felt nothing but grief for the vampire who had now turned his back on me and move to sit on one of the thrones in the room. I turned and held my hand out to Aro so he could see what I had._

_"Fascinating." He mused quietly. The whole room fell silent. This was it. I was going to be killed and Euan would follow me and the beautiful baby boy in his arms would go last. I closed my eyes and bowed my head again. I heard the familiar metallic shrieks as immortal arms and legs were separated from the main body. I heard the crackle of the fire that blazed to dispose of the what I knew to be twitching limbs. I heard the child scream. It broke my heart to hear a child in agony. It was an abomination to our kind. No child should have this burden placed upon them, but it damn near killed me to hear it scream right up until the end.__ The screaming stopped soon after that. I waited for pain and fire but it didn't come. I opened my eyes and found Aro to be staring at me with mild amusement._

_"Young one, you are free to go now. You are however, welcome to stay with us. Join our family."_  
_I didn't think about it. I ran as far and as fast as my legs could take me before I was halted by the sun. I ran because my life depended on it. I ran to escape the screaming. I just ran._

Alice's face had fallen to the floor. Her hand tightened around mine and she stopped breathing. Yep, that was the reaction I was expecting. I flinched when I looked at her face for the second time and saw that it hadn't changed yet. I slipped my hand out of hers and started to walk. I was forced to stop and suddenly had a small, pixie-like, limpet of a vampire stuck to the front of me in a bone-breaking hug.

"I didn't know." she murmured.

"That's because I didn't tell anyone."

"I'm so sorry, Kali."

Those words were simple but they gave me what I needed at that point. I had to live with what he did for nearly three hundred and fifty years, feeling in someway responsible for it. I felt the sobs coming and I tried to force them down. my eyes began to ache and sting. Having venom-filled tears and being unable to shed them was painful and it would only add to my misery. I felt Alice's little hand pat my back and try and comfort me. I finally got a hold of myself and started to get confused.

"Where the hell did that come from?" I asked, more to myself than anything else.

"Angry tears. Sad tears and tears that should have been shed hundreds of years ago." Alice explained. She still hadn't climbed off of me yet.

"Alice. Get off me." I laughed. My eyes stung and I began to rub them. I had to get the venom to move back into my system and the only way to do it was manually. Alice reached up and moved my hands out of the way. She took over and starter to massage under my eyes in a loving, sisterly kind of way.

"I'm sorry." Alice stated after a couple of seconds.

"What for?" I was confused again.

"For not telling you all of that stuff sooner. We should have told you before you decided to stay with us."

"I should have been told. But then again... It wouldn't have made a blind bit of difference."

"You lost me." Alice admitted.

"I already told Carlisle. I felt a change when I came here. I changed. " My voice became fierce, just like it did the first time I said this." I will kill and be killed to protect this family, MY family." Her elfin features lit up with the most ridiculous smile. I couldn't help but return it.

"Now." I said, my own grin falling as I thought about the task in hand. " When is this red-headed bitch coming for my little sister so I can rip her miserable head off?"

"This weekend." Alice said. " I showed Edward some airline tickets that Bella got for her birthday and didn't use. He is going to be taking her to Florida to see her mother and we will be hunting her."

"Good. Lets get home. I have to get a shower." I said, surveying the damage I had done to my clothes during my rampage.

"I'll help her pick out some clothes." I heard.

"Alice, I can dress myself. You don't have to help me every time I change a pair of socks." I was getting pissed off with the Kali Barbie thing.

"I didn't say anything!" Alice proclaimed. Her face was the picture of innocence.

"Don't give me it. I heard you. You said 'I'll help her pick out some clothes.'"

"I didn't say that."

"Yes you did!" I heard her. I know I did.

"No, you misunderstand me. I didn't say it. I thought it." Alice said in a rather confused voice.

"Pardon me?" Now I was confused again. I also noted that I had stopped moving...again.

"This is strange. We should talk to Carlisle." I was now scared. I was staring at alice. I heard her say Carlisle's name, but her lips didn't move. I was freaking out now.

"Should we call Carlisle?" Honestly, I would have happily drove to the hospital and captured him and have him explain exactly what was happening to me.

"I'm not sure. You are copying Edwards gift right now, right?" "I think so."

"Then stop thinking about it. focus on something else." Alice suggested. I tried. I focused on my cars. All of them. It took me a couple of seconds to compile the list and then sort them by class and engine size.

"Kali, did you hear that?" Alice asked lightly

"Hear what?"

"Good. Just don't focus on Edward's gift just now. We will talk to Carlisle when he gets home from the hospital."

"Alice, I'm going to be honest with you. I'm scared. My gift shouldn't do that. We should call Edward and make sure he can still hear minds." What if I had taken it? I hadn't been around other gifted vampires this long before. He might be hurt.

"Edward will be home with Bella about half past six. He is fine and will be fine. A little 'wigged' out, but otherwise okay." Alice confirmed for me.  
"let's just get back to the house. If you must, you can help me get dressed or something."  
"Yay!" she squealed, dragging me through the forest back to the house. I could only hope the boys would have an explanation as to what was happening with me.

* * *

"Welcome home, Carlisle." I called over my Biology homework. I was six hundred years old and doing homework. I had officially gone mad. I suddenly felt rather mutinous, so I shoved it away and waited on him entering the dining room where I was 'studying'

"Thank you, Kali. How was your day?" Carlisle moved into the room and sat next to me, every inch the interested father. I snorted once before I could stifle the humour in the situation.

"In a word, Carlisle, eventful. I had an eventful day."

"Do tell." He urged.

"Hold on a second. Alice, would you come here a minute?" I heard her breeze downstairs as Carlisle looked on with confusion scrawling across his Adonis-like features. "She will be able to help me explain better." He nodded once and offered Alice the seat opposite us so we were facing each other.

"Now, tell me about your interesting day." Carlisle said. Not knowing something that could be interesting was almost physically painful to him. I smirked a little at his discomfort before we began.

"First off, you should probably know that Alice had a vision today. Edward will be gone this weekend." I said in a very matter-of-fact manner.

"What was the vision of?" Carlisle asked, suddenly wary.

"Victoria" Alice said in a very small, little voice. She explained what we all saw. Victoria would be in Forks this weekend and Edward was going to be taking Bella out of town to visit her mum as a precaution.

"Right, that will be fine. We will hunt her this weekend. Jasper and Emmett will lead with Kali. Alice, Esme, Rosalie and I will follow." I knew that planning like this killed Carlisle. He abhorred violence.

"That doesn't explain why your day was interesting though, Kali." I felt my eyes roll.

"On the way home from school, Alice and I went for a quick hunt. She told me everything since Bella came to Forks."

"Everything?" Carlisle asked cautiously.

"Everything." I confirmed. "Then we talked about some other stuff and I got rather upset."

"What did you get ups-"

"Later Carlisle."

"Okay, Kali. Go on..." That was one of the things I loved about my adoptive father. He knew when to leave well enough alone.

"We were heading home after my... um... emotional breakdown?" I looked to Alice for the right word. She seemed to think that emotional breakdown was good enough. "Yeah, so we were heading home and I heard her thoughts."

"Was Edward around?" Carlisle asked flippantly.

"No, he was with Bella trying to convince her that Florida was lovely this time of year. No, Carlisle, I heard her all on my own."

"I wonder if she has been near talented vampires this long before?"

"No, I haven't." I replied.

"Pardon me?" Carlisle looked thoroughly confused now.

"No, I haven't been around gifted vampires this long before." I re-iterated.

"I didn't say anything." Carlisle defended himself.

"That doesn't mean I didn't hear it." "Well, this is new." He mused. "You're telling me." I replied, sighing.

"You're gift may be slightly different that you originally thought. Perhaps your gift is more like a sponge rather than a mirror. You seem to be able to copy and retain gifts as long as you have prolonged exposure to them. I think if you were separated from the gifts you are using for too long, they would bleed away." Carlisle surmised.

"Can you use Jazzy's gift?" Alice asked, leaning forward.

"Hold on..." I shoved Edward's gifts as far back as I could and dragged Jasper's forward. It was more difficult with his gifts. It was like clutching at smoke. I focused on trying to project a steady calm.

"Well that settles it, then." Carlisle said, a happy, relaxed smile had replaced his confusion from earlier.

"Do you feel that?" I asked, my voice cracked.

"Yes, we do." They chirped together.

"This has the potential to be rather cool." I stated, looking at my hands.

"Edward is going to be happy about this. He will explain why." Alice said, clapping her tiny hands together. "Speaking of, he, Bella and Jasper are coming."

"Time to test out my new talent then!" I beamed and shot out of the room, towards the trio walking through the front door.

* * *

When Edward and Bella and Jasper finally arrived that evening, I took Edward aside for a few moments to explain what had happened that day, minus the emotional train wreck. No-one needed to hear about that. Ever. Edward did seem pleased that my gift used his when he wasn't around. It meant I could hunt Victoria more effectively by following her mind as well as her scent. Jasper was equally as appeased by the notion I carrying around his shit like some weird emotional baggage. In his defense, he carried everyone else's.

We were all safe and well tonight. We were however at a total loss as to how to spend the evening. Bella suggested games and Jasper dived for a cupboard just off to the left and retrieved the Hasbro back-catalogue... or that's what it looked like. We ended up settling for chess. Myself and Edward went first after promising not to use each other's mind-reading abilities. Edward destroyed me; It was not pretty. Alice and Edward went next and it was the single most entertaining game of chess I had ever witnessed. They played the game in their minds, moving two pawns each before they went silent and just stared into each others eyes. I tuned in long enough to see Alice foreseeing moved and Edward reacting to what he saw from her head. It was bloody and Bella were up next and it was not pretty. A vampire mind had to focus completely just to beat him, Bella had no chance. In his and her defense, she played her absolute best and Jazz gave her a couple of pieces before decimating her forces, causing her to tip the king and graciously withdraw.

When It came time for Bella to leave, we all exchanged hugs and kisses and promises of seeing each other in school tomorrow for finals. I dragged Jazz back to out epic chess board on the pretense of playing again. In fact, I was watching his mind. If there had been a more strategically minded, more military ready mind, I didn't know it. He was truly a force to be reckoned with and I was fervently thankful that he was on our side for whatever the upcoming hunt would bring.


	11. Hunting The Huntress

**_Author Note - Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight. Lucky wench! =P_**

Chapter Eleven

Hunting The Huntress

I hadn't actively hunted my kind for a while- About a hundred or so years - So the prospect of hunting one that had evaded the Cullens before and the La Push wolves was a little daunting. I took the challenge willingly because part of my family was at stake. The 'other' red head would not lay one undead finger on Bella.

"You seem pretty adamant there, Kali." Edward quipped, reading my thoughts as he loading another bag into the Volvo.

"You are going away for the weekend. How many more bags do you think you will possibly need?" I retorted, pointing to the two bags still on the porch. We both looked at each other and the answer because blatantly obvious.

"Alice." we chimed at the same time before we giggled. Once the laughter died down, Edward sighed longingly.

"We will catch her, Edward. I promise." I stated, staring into his eyes and hoping he saw the determination there.

"I know you will. Your gift will help enormously."

"How so?"

"It will help you find her and predict her movements. If Alice's vision holds, there will be no other minds present except for the family and hers." he clarified, leaning against the bonnet of his car.

"Edward, Bella is my sister. As her sister, it is my job to destroy anything that threatens her. I will use every weapon at my disposal to bring her down." My hands fisted at my side at the mere thought of the vampire on a vengeance kick. Edward smiled at my declaration and nodded.

"What are you smiling for?" I asked.

"It's wonderful for me to hear that you claim Bella as your sister." He explained. "It makes me happy."

"I'm not claiming anything, Edward. She accepted me without batting an eyelid and I can tell she likes me. I love her and I will protect her with my life if that's what is takes." I said. I took a quick glance at clock on the wall of the garage. "And if you don't shift your arse, you will stand my sister up!" I shoved him playfully towards the drivers side of the Volvo and launched the last two bags into the backseat for him. I stood, watching him pull out of the garage and down the driveway, praying silently to myself that I... we could do what he needed us to tonight. I turned around and headed back to the house to start planning.

* * *

I was running now. I mean, really running. I bolted through the woods with Emmett and Jasper behind me. I was trying to get a fix on the unfamiliar voice that I could hear in my head. Images flashed through it of the Cullens in full baseball regalia and Bella near the back of the crowd. Flashes of forest chased through my brain and the smell of wolves filled my nose as the thoughts showed me this vampire being chased through this part of the forest by the wolves before. And visions of fire. Endless fire and a unremarkable, plain looking blonde vampire. The thoughts in my head coddled this vampire and held him on a cushion of love, lust and grief.

"Emmett, is that what James looked like?" I asked quietly as we steamed through the trees.

"Blonde? Kinda ugly?" he asked

"Yeah..."

"That's the one." he confirmed.

"How the fuck do you get an ugly vampire? That's not possible." I joked, despite our situation. Emmett's laugh, though suppressed still boomed off of the passing trees.

"Can you two please try and focus?" Jasper almost growled. I shook my head and focused more on the thoughts of the psychotic red-head who I could tell we were getting closer to. Her thoughts became more disjointed and panicked. Her head swung from left to right, searching for us as she ran. Abruptly she stopped, held her breath and rocketed skyward into the trees. I focused, trying to see something that would give her away.

"Jazz! She stopped!" I almost yelled. My voice held even as I ran. I may as well have been standing right next to him.

"Where?" Emmett asked, eager to get into a fight.

"I'm not sure. She shot up into the trees and stopped about half way up a massive spruce."

"There are a grouping of spruce about three minutes from here. Follow her scent Emmett and Kali, focus on her mind."

We all nodded and continued running. I managed to focus on her scent and her mind at the same time. She had a bitter tinge to her scent. Cinnamon and cloves and something really sharp and not very pleasant. I took a step back and ran with my brothers. The trail we were on was less than five minutes old so we increased our speed and I smiled slightly when I hear Carlisle, Alice and Rosalie running about four hundred feet away and closing in at a perpendicular angle to us. The cinnamon and cloves smell increased dramatically and we stopped. The wind shifted and Victoria registered our scents and shifted on her branch. I zeroed my sight onto her position and motioned to Jasper to follow me. Jasper signaled to Emmett to stay where he was and make a lot of noise while myself and Jasper scaled the tree behind her. Her mind was a whirling, bubbling mess of hate, grief and loss. I climbed higher so that I was above her head. Emmett was doing a nice job of distracting her and the others were still heading in this direction Jasper was still positioned about twenty feet below her, ready to make a grab for her if she got away. I nodded once and I launched myself at her.

Diving through the air like a missile, I fell towards her. She turned her head just in time to register my presence as I grabbed her hair, wrapping it around my hands and throwing her out of the tree. Jasper grabbed her as she fell and shoved against her, spearing her body. She impacted with the ground to the sound of a deafening _**CRACK**_. Jasper landed on top of her pinning her to the ground. He leapt off her as I flew out the tree and headed straight for the spot Jasper had vacated, aiming for her head. Her eyes flew open and she shot through Jasper's clutching arms and dodged Emmett's grabbing hands and took off like a bullet into the woods.

"Fuck! I should have ripped her fucking head off!" I screeched as I hit the ground and bolted after her. Jasper and Emmett were at my tail and I could feel them pushing harder to keep pace with me. Carlisle and the girls must have heard the altercation from before because they were falling in behind me now and running flat out, trying to keep up. I re-focused my mind on hers and saw that she was heading for the Quileute border.

"She is heading for Wolf Land. We have to get to her first." I muttered as the others pushed harder. Her scent was thick in the air as hints of putrid wolf started to lace through the wind as we pushed further west.

"God the smell!" Emmett complained, rubbing his nose as he ran.

"Grow a set, hold your breath and move your arse!" I yelled at him as I pushed as hard as I could.

"Be careful." Carlisle called. "We are too close to the border to attack her."

We broke into a loggers clearing and the wolf stench escalated to painful levels. I had one half a second to react as I saw Victoria dance across the border and over the heads of the wolves. I shuddered to a stop when I was about ten feet from the treaty line. I turned to stop the others behind me and Emmett barreled straight past me

"Emmett, STOP!" I screamed. He stopped on the spot about two feet from the treaty and, in turn, about five feet from the large grey wolf from the first time I had saw them. The wolf snarled viciously and clawed the ground as I rushed forward to pull Emmett back. The other wolves started to snarl at us as I tried to pull Emmett back. Carlisle, Rosalie and Alice broke the tree line and stopped next to Jasper. Rosalie saw Emmett and bolted forward and stood in front of him, crouched down, hands curled and her face promising instant and rather painful death to anyone who touched her mate. I grabbed Emmett's arm and tried to pull him back but he was furious beyond reasoning.

"Emmett, calm the fuck down and move back!" I yelled over the sound of the buzzing voices in my head. I needed to focus on them. I needed to help diffuse the situation.

_"Fucking leech nearly hit Paul! Treaty is broken!"_

_"Guys, cool it. We should be going after the other red head."_

_"He fucking Hit me!"_

_"Paul, shut it, no he didn't. It was close, but he didn't get you. He was aiming for the redhead!"_

I scrunched my eyes and shook my head. There were too many voices. It was so painful, I could barely stand it.

"Kali, are you alright?" Carlisle thought, coming to Emmett's other side to take his left arm. I nodded once and tried to focus.

"Kali, I need your help to calm everyone down. If you focus on the family, I can focus on the wolves. They are the hardest to placate." Jasper was still planning, ever the strategist. I pushed Edward's gift to the back of my mind and focused on Jasper's. It took me a second as I struggled to get a hold of something that intangible. When I finally got a grasp of whatever the hell it was that Jasper had, I felt like a truck had hit me. My breath was shoved from my lungs in one massive rush as the hate and anger and worry from the surrounding bodies pressed down on my chest.

"Jesus Christ! I huffed, trying to get a handle on something calm. Jasper nodded to me once. I knew he would feel what I felt so he knew I had it. He forced out a massive current of calm that I knew would crash off the trees surrounding the clearing and hit every single person in it. I focused on his emotions and copied his wave of calm. I sent my own, significantly smaller wave around the clearing, mines chasing his like a weird cat and mouse game.

"That should do it, Kali. I've got it." He muttered quietly. I nodded and switched back to Edwards gifts, hoping the calm wave that jasper was still projecting would help ease some of the battering that my head would receive.

_"Fucking mutts. I'm going to punch Jasper for his calming shit and then I'm going to rip those dog's fucking heads off!"_ Rosalie's thoughts were tainted with wild anger. I tried to hear Emmett but even with Jasper's 'Valium' effect his thoughts were a muddle of hate and anger. He had no coherent thoughts. The only thing that registered in his brain was to take parts off of the wolves.

"Emmett, if you don't calm down, I will have you giggling like an eight year old girl with a new doll. _Now back away!_" I warned him.

"_**FUCK YOU!**_" he yelled in my face.

"If you move back from the treaty line, I might. Now shift your arse!"

My comment stunned him enough that Carlisle and I managed to drag him back a good fifteen feet.

"Sam," Carlisle began, beckoning Jazz and Alice forward to take hold of Emmett with me. Rose was still in front of him, silently promising violence to anyone who even looked at Emmett the wrong way.

"Sam, we are tracking Victoria, the vampire who is after Bella." Carlisle was explaining quickly, the words spilling out like running water. " She evaded us by crossing onto your land. With your permission, we would like to continue tracking her on your land."

The noise in my head was deafening. Jasper grabbed my arms, holding me up as the noise threatened to crush me. My head felt like it was going to explode. The number of '_no fucking ways_' and '_over our dead bodies_' only added to the sound of their snarling and howling. I put my hands to my head, shaking, trying to focus on one voice.

_"No, I don't think so, Bloodsucker._" I knew the sound of Sam's mind from before and anger and venom instantly surged at his disrespect.

"Watch your tone, wolf." I spat, turning the last word into a curse. "There is no need for name-calling and you would do well to remember to apply some manners when you are speaking to any of us."

"Kali, enough." Carlisle chastised.

"You can't hear their minds, Carlisle." I sneered, glaring at the wolves again.

_"Holy shit, there are two mind-readers!" _

_"How the fuck is she doing that?"_

_"Did that one read your mind, Sam?"_

I smiled at them, tapping the side of my head and tilting my head, challenging them to take a guess as to what I was doing.

_"There's **two** of them?"_ My smile grew at their confusion.

"If we aren't allowed to hunt her on your land, will you?" I asked. Well, not really asked. If they weren't willing to help us, then I would tear them apart and then go after the crazy bitch. Another crashing wall of calm broke around us.

"Thanks, Jazz" I muttered. The Sam wolf nodded once and the other wolves shot back into the forest, heading in the direction they came from. Sam followed them out, howling. We followed on our side of the line as much as we could, but it became clear that Victoria wasn't coming back tonight. Alice had a vision, confirming this for us and we went home.

"_Fuck!_ Edward is going to be pissed!" Emmett yelled, still unhappy about the fact he wasn't allowed to rip the wolves into bits.

"Don't worry, brother." I said, releasing his arm again and placing a hand on his massive shoulder "We _will_ find her and when we won't waste time next time.

* * *

"Emmett, you will **_NOT_** pick a fight with the wolves. Do you understand me?" Esme scolded. She had the 'Death Glare' back on and her hands looked like they might form permanent indentations on her hips. I felt like running for cover. We had been having this argument since last night. Edward was due home soon and Emmett still wanted to stuff and mount a couple of shape-shifter heads for the living-room.

"They started it! That stupid grey mutt snapped at me!" Emmett argued, his hands balling into fists.

"I don't care. You will not cause all-out war because you are angry!"

"Em, it won't do any good to cause a fight." I said. "As much as I want to hamstring the whole stinking lot of them, it won't help."

"You didn't get snapped at." He muttered. I rolled my eyes and wondered how a seventy-odd year old vampire could actually pout before turning into a nine year old girl with pigtails. Alice giggled at my side when she got that visual.

"Alice, when will Edward get home?" I asked, wanting to deflect Emmett's attention.

"Forty-three minutes." She replied confidently.

"Will he be bringing Bella?"

"No." I felt instant relief at that one. I didn't want Bella to know that Victoria was even in the state, let alone so close to town.

"Good." I stated, nodding my head. "She doesn't need to hear this." I waited for someone to argue about it, but thankfully no-one did.

"Best to avoid theatrics as much as possible." I continued. Six heads nodded in agreement.

"She will be nearly hysterical if we do and then she will be rather upset that we didn't tell her sooner." Alice confirmed. We had been discussing this, going in circles all day. Emmett wanting to cause a fight, Rosalie getting pissed by his 'war-mongering' as she called it. Carlisle was playing peacemaker, Esme scolding us when things got too heated, Jasper altering the moods of the room when it got too much for him. Alice scanned the future, looking for Victoria and trying to find when she would attack next. I sat, mostly quiet, torn between wanting to help Emmett tear some dogs apart and keeping my family safe.

"I'm going to get changed." I announced. I hadn't gotten changed since the hunt and I felt horrible. "And Alice, no."

"I didn't say of think anything!" She protested.

"You don't have to." She stuck her tongue out at me and turned away.

"Kali, can I speak with you for a moment?" Carlisle asked, rising from the armchair he occupied next to where Esme was standing.

"No problem. Can I get changed first? Seeing me like this is killing the pixie." The aforementioned Pixie hissed quietly as Jasper and Emmett suppressed their laughter.

"Of course. I'll wait in my study for you." He glided up the stairs and I heard the door click. I followed him up and quickly showered and changed. With my hair still dripping wet and my recently applied jeans and t-shirt bearing the water spots from the drips, I padded over to the study. I knocked gently on the door twice before I was beckoned inside. I closed the door behind me and sat on the sofa on the west wall of Carlisle's study. He sat next to me and was still for a few moments while he organised his thoughts.

"Kali, without Edward here, you were our best hope of knowing what the wolves were thinking last night." He said softly. To any other vampire, it would have sounded like mumbling. His face was tense as he spoke.  
"Honestly, I'm still feeling it. Their minds are so loud. How Edward doesn't have a permanent migraine, I just don't know." I grumbled, rubbing my temples with my hands. My head still ached from the onslaught of individual minds and the pack-mind and Victoria's swirling mess of incohesion and our families frantic thoughts. He placed a hand on my knee as comfort.

"I'm sorry about that, Kali." He offered. Sincerity washed over his words. "The thing is, after last night and the '_unfortunate event_' with Emmett and the grey wolf, I wanted to make sure the treaty isn't damaged."

"I think it's okay. Some of the subordinate wolves were pretty adamant that the treaty was broken, but the Alpha insisted that it was intact. It was close though, Carlisle. We won't get away with something like that again."

"What about the chances of the other members of the pack acting outside of the Alpha's orders?" Carlisle looked concerned. I could tell he was worried about the grey wolf - Paul- acting out.

"From what I saw of their minds last night, if the Alpha gives an order or declares anything regarding the treaty, then his word is Law. In short, what Sam says, goes." I was dumbing it down for myself just as much as I was for Carlisle. I had spent all day processing thoughts and feelings and actions. Simplifying things helped a lot. It had gotten too much by the time I had gotten back to the house and had to shove any and all thoughts of Edward's gift to the back of my mind and keep them there. Jasper helped by projecting peace at me for an hour solid while I worked to free my head and make it my own again.

"Thank you, Kali. I know you didn't sign up for any of this when you decided to join us." Carlisle's tone was apologetic and it instantly riled me.

"Carlisle, I have already told you, this is where I belong. This is my family and I will do whatever it takes to protect you all. If a headache is all that it costs me, then I get off lightly." I was shocked by his statement. How could they still be doubting my commitment to them? I grasped my crest pendant and waved it at him.

"_This_ means **_everything_** to me. Everything that I was, everything that I am and everything that I could be belongs to this family. I will protect every member of my family and if it costs me everything I have, even my own life, I will gladly give it. I will look after this family or I will burn trying." I rounded off my little 'soap-box speech' with a huff.

"Kali, I am not doubting your devotion or your commitment. I am just sorry you have to deal with all of this when you are just getting adjusted to us." He said, patting my knee again.

"Carlisle, If this is the price I have to pay to be a part of this family- If ripping apart a psychotic vampire on a vengeance kick is what I have to do to enjoy my new life- then I will. It is nothing compared to what I would be willing to pay." I would have traded everything for them. My cars, houses, money...myself.

"Okay, okay. I believe you." Carlisle said, holding his hands up in surrender. "I am sorry I offended you. It was never my intent."

"I know. It's just been a rough day." I muttered, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Now, all we have to do, is inform Edward that their is one nutcase of a vampire still on the loose and the wolves are pissed at us."

"Good luck with that." Carlisle teased, standing up. I followed him and walked towards the door.

"Hell, I'll tell him. I'm the only one who will be able to read his mind to see just who he is going to dismantle for all the cock-ups this weekend." I shrugged, opening the door.

"He won't hurt anyone." Carlisle stated, his whole body stiffening.

"To quote the ever-eloquent Emmett... 'Bring it!'" I stated, fisting my hands and raising them to my face like a boxer. Carlisle composed expression cracked and loud rumbles of laughter escaped from him, shaking his whole frame. It took him a few moments to compose himself for speech again.

"Alright, Alright. I am sorry again and thank you for everything you have done this weekend."

"Don't mention it _Dad_! You ain't getting rid of me that easily." I teased again.

"We wouldn't dream of it." Carlisle confirmed, sitting behind his desk and folding his hands together. He opened his mouth to speak and was instantly cut off by the sound of a Volvo sized engine screaming up the driveway. "Everyone fill their heads, please?" Carlisle was asking them to keep Edward out of their thoughts and understandably so. Less than two minutes after we heard the car turn onto the driveway, Edward was in the front room and glaring at everyone. I let my mind drift towards my Bentley back in London. I focused on the colour, the shape, the horse-power, the engine specifications down to the last millimeter. We had been blocking him for about thirty seconds when he lost composure.

"Emmett, I don't need to know the roster for the Miami Dolphins in order of shoe size." He turned to Rosalie "Nor do I need to know which BMW performs best in subzero temperatures." He growled when they smirked at him. They knew they were pissing him off and they found it funny.

"Jasper, I don't need you to re-enact the Battle of Gettysburg from the confederate point of view. And I really don't need to know all about this years up and coming Swedish designers, Alice. Not to mention how much I don't need to know about the best methods of removing jam stains from clothes, Esme and I certainly don't need to know about all the blood diseases you are aware of, Carlisle." He rounded on my with his face displaying the confusion, anger and annoyance that his voice was betraying so readily for us. "Kali, if you don't tell me what happened this weekend, I will personally, fly to London and turn the Bentley that is currently occupying your head into an ashtray!" He bellowed, losing his temper. It was unfortunate for him that I lost mines as well.

"You listen to me, mind reader," I spat. "You best think again before threatening anything that belongs to me. This whole family put themselves in great danger for you this weekend and your outburst is uncalled for and completely disgusting. Now, be patient and we will tell you what happened. If you don't, _you get fuck all!_" I took a step towards him, pointing a finger into his chest " And if you lay one, stone-cold finger on my car, I will drive the Vanquish off of a cliff and you will be left with nothing but a broken steering wheel. _Do you understand me?_"

"Holy shit, she just put his ass in a sling!" Emmett whispered to Rosalie, who giggled silently. Esme looked horrified at the language I had just used and the temper that both myself and Edward had just displayed.

"Well, that was different." Jazz commented. "Edward, she was serious, man. Back away." I thought that to be rather prudent advice considering that I was being deadly serious. I shook my head a little, trying to calm myself down. When I regained the ability to talk, I addressed my brother.

"Edward, I understand that you want to protect Bella. We all do. It has been a rough weekend for us all, some more than others and I will happily tell you about it. But you can't just barge in here, demanding answers and threatening people like that."

"My apologies, everyone." He said. He looked like a little boy being caught doing something naughty. "Especially you, Kali. I had no right to threaten you like that. Will you forgive me?" I must have been becoming a push-over in my old age, because as soon as his face had changed and exhibited some sort of remorse, I had already forgiven him.

"Forgiven and forgotten, brother." I told him, placing a hand on his upper arm. "Why don't we go for a quick drive and I will fill you in?"

"I think that's a wonderful idea." Esme declared, throwing a set of car keys at us from the sideboard. I caught them and felt my eyes bug out when I saw what car they belonged to... Aston martin. **_DROOL_**!

"Come on, before anyone gets ABBA songs into their head to block you out. You don't need that kind of torture." I teased gently, leading the way into the garage and tossing the keys behind me. Hopefully, being in his 'baby' would stop him from wrecking his immediate surroundings when he heard about this weekend.


	12. Undisclosed Information

_**Undisclosed Information**_

"I'm driving." Edward stated, marching over to his car.

"Piss off! You drove the Ferrari two nights ago. It's my turn." I argued, making a grab for his keys.

"Kali, this is the Vanquish. No-one but me gets to drive it."

"You sound like a fucking child. Now give me the keys." I held my hand out for them patiently. He would give them up or he was getting nothing from me. No information on the hunt or the confrontation with the wolves or...

"What confrontation with the wolves?" Oh crap. Damn it! Wait, I could use this...

"Give me the keys and you will find out." I challenged, still holding my hand steady.

"Kali..."

"Oh for God sake Edward. Give me the damn keys so we can get out of here." I yelled, taking a step forward so that my hand was directly below his face. His face ran through about ten different emotions before strong determination settled into his features.

"If you so much as adjust the seat..." he threatened, putting the keys into my waiting hand.

"Yeah, yeah, Kali jigsaw. Hop in, big boy!" I heard a deep laugh from the house as Emmett finally lost control of himself. "Stop pouting, Edward."

He was sitting with his arms folded in the passenger seat of the Vanquish, staring at the steering wheel with longing in his eyes.

"Tell you what, we will go for a drive to my house and when we get there, you can pick a car to drive back here for me." I reasoned. He thought about it for a good ten seconds before he held his hand out for me to shake. The deal was struck and I floored it out of the garage while Edward had an almost pained expression on his face. We had been driving towards my home for about five minutes. We hadn't actually said anything to each other and I wanted to wait until I knew we were far enough away from the wolf-border that he couldn't make a dive for it and rip apart some wolves for himself.

"I am going to show you what happened now, Edward." I said suddenly. I hadn't thought about it. It just sort of slipped out and I think I preferred it that way. At least he didn't get a head's up of anything. "It's important that you see everything for yourself. Also, remember what car you are in. You do not want to break anything. Okay?" He nodded once and motioned for me to continue. I allowed thoughts of the hunt flood my mind.

I showed him how we flew through the forest like ghosts chasing smoke. Victoria weaving across the boundary line and rocketting into the tree. My hands wrapped around her hair and the feel of her being hurtled to the ground at high speed. Jasper shoving his shoulder so far into her ribcage I was positive he had broken something inside of her. My near miss and her consequent escape across the quileute border. Emmett nearly crashing into the grey wolf and the almost fight that ensued. Edward let out a low hiss when I replayed the wolves thoughts and their reactions. He got his back up particularly high when he saw the response from one of the wolves when Bella's name was mentioned. I showed him Carlisle asking for permission to hunt Victoria on their lands, but the wall of _'Fuck No's'_ prohibited us.

"We spent a lot of time arguing. By the time they had caught up with her, she was already in the Sound and heading for the shore." I said quietly. Edward shook his head, sort of smiling. "What the hell are you smiling about? We didn't catch her. She got away."

"Kali, you got closer than any of the wolves of Cullens ever had before. I can still smell her scent on you."

"Oh, that's because I have a small present for you in my pocket." I said cryptically. I flooded my mind with images of wildflowers and trees as I fished the small bag out of my pocket. I hadn't shown this to any of the others. I wanted it to be a surprise, just for him. He looked less than impressed that both of my hands weren't on the steering wheel of his precious car, but accepted the little bag when I handed it to him. I stole sidewards glances as he sniffed the bag and hissed involuntarily.

"This has Victoria's scent all over it." He growled, holding it between two of his fingers, utterly disgusted.

"Just open the damn bag, will you?" I challenged. "I thought you would like to see it before I burned it." He untied the drawstrings on the bag and pulled the opening wide. He peaked into the bag and let out the most ridiculous booming laughter. After he turned the bag upside down over his hand, the clump of flame red hair fell out and began to permeate the air with its scent. When I had threw Victoria out of the tree by her hair, clumps of it had caught around my fingers, causing it to rip clean out of her head. I hadn't noticed until I got home that it was wraped around my hands, but I figured it would be the best gift I could give Edward to let him know we had at least made a good effort.

"You want to know the good bit... she will have a bald spot above her right ear now. _That_ won't grow back." I said, thoroughly enjoying Edward's mirth.

"Oh my. I think we should show this to Bella before we burn it." He suggested, placing the hair back into the little bag and shoving it into his pocket. "And I am sorry for how I reacted back at the house. She really does mean everything to me and I will be forever grateful to all of you for what you are doing to protect Bella. The failed hunt this weekend just means that I have a chance to finish this myself." His face turned deadly and I could only assume that he was thinking of a thousand different ways to rip Victoria apart. I couldn't blame him really- I had thought the same thing myself as the family and I hunted her. I was just disappointed that I couldn't finish the job before she escaped.

"Edward, not to put a dampener on the mirth and vengeance... but Victoria has a talent. You know that right?"

He shook his head. "What is it?"

"Her brain works so fast that it can process things a lot faster than we normally can. She thinks through information so fast, it allows her to react quicker than most. It allows her to escape near death situations. It's astonishing to watch her mind when it is in action. The only benifit is that you will be able to hear and keep up with her thoughts when you catch up to her next time."

"We thought she had a talent, but we didn't know what." Edward stated.

"Thanks for the heads up then."

"You didn't need the help, Kali. Like I said, you have gotten closer to her than anyone else has."

"Stop trying to butter me up. It won't work." I mused, knowing full well that it would work spectacularly. I headed for the turn off to my driveway. Once I turned off the highway, just outside Seattle, I slowed down just a little. "Edward, welcome to _my_ house."

Everything was just as I left it. It was dark now, so the house was all lit up again. There wasn't any real need for it to be, seeing as I hadn't been here in nearly eight weeks, but it stopped people breaking in and stealing stuff. I pulled up to the house and climbed out of the fabulous machine that I had driven here. I ran my hand gently over the bonnet and promised myself I would buy one of these.

"This one was a limited edition when it was new." Edward informed me, getting out of the car and stroking the opposite side of the bonnet. "You should be able to get a hold of one, but they are more expensive now." Gloating little shit. Time for him to see _my_ babies.

"Edward, I am going to show you my garage. Once I have led you in, I am going to grab some things from the house and then come back and make sure you are alright." The garage was actually a converted, two-story barn that could hold up to twenty-four cars... and hold twenty-four cars, it did. He nodded once, motioning for me to lead the way. When we reached the padlocked door of the barn, I paused.

"Now, remember, try not to drool on anything. I'm not sure how the paintwork would cope with the venom and some of these are vintage." He nodded once to me, indicating that he understood. I took the padlock into my had and squeezed it gently until the metal gave way and came loose into my hand. I tossed the now hand-shaped lump into the trees and slid open the barn door, reaching for the light-switch just next to the entrance. Edward was holding his breath. I turned to find out why he had stopped, but his face told me everything I needed to know. His eyes were as wide as saucers and a smile was beginning to break out across his face. This was highly undignified behavior on his part. When Rosalie saw this, she just nodded and began quizzing me on the models and modifications and such. Edward's reaction, this stare and gawp and almost _drip-venom-down-my-chin_ behavior, was slightly embarrassing.

"I am going to nip to the house and grab a few things. Will you be alright?" The only response he could muster was a single, stiff nod. I laughed as I ran to the house. I wanted to grab my iPod and some books. Also some normal clothes were a must. I was getting fed up of the designer crap Alice insisted I was to wear. Plus, I needed sturdy items like my running and hiking boots. I needed to pick up some credit cards and money as well. It took me about five minutes to get everything I wanted together and into two bags. I took then downstairs and placed them by the Vanquish. I walked slowly over to my garage and leaned against the still open door. Edward had finally moved from his standing position and was now weaving his way through my cars on the ground floor.

"Edward? You alright?" I asked quietly, not wanting to intrude upon his 'moment' with the Porsche he was currently next to.

"There are so many..."

"I know. You know that this is just the ground floor right? I keep the good ones upstairs." I stated, pointing towards the spiral staircase in the corner. His eyes flitted to the stairs and back to me with a slight longing. "Follow me." I said, making my way towards the staircase. Once upstairs, Edward became stock-still again. "Edward, it's okay. Just pick one."

"How? They are all just..." Words seemed to fail him as he moved, almost unconsciously, towards my Aston Martin Vantage. "The body work on this is slightly prettier than the Vanquish, but the engine that your baby has downstairs just about turned me to butter." I told him, walking forwards to stand by his side. "You can drive this one if you like."

"Shh, I'm not done shopping yet."

"Oh good. You have enough of your faculties back to start making jokes. I was getting worried there." I teased, poking him in the side.

"Very funny..." he grumbled as he moved away from the Vantage and towards my Maserati Quattroporte. I focused on him and got into his head which was, quite frankly, a mess of cars and automotive lust. His hand skimmed the roof of the car and he inhaled through his nose, breathing in the scent of the paintwork and the engine. His eyes roamed the room and zeroed in on one car. It was like gravity didn't effect him anymore as he got to the side of his target. My pride and joy. I loved this car as much as Edward loved the Vanquish and the thought of anyone else touching it was almost painful to me. The Pagani Zonda before us both stood on a slightly raised plinth- indicating it's elevated status of _'My favourite'_. It's shimmering, metallic red paint danced under the lights in the garage and begged to be touched.

"My, how the tables have turned...?" Edward mused, never taking his eyes off of my car. "Can I drive this one?" I stopped breathing. He wanted to drive the Zonda. He wanted to _touch_ my Zonda... That was unacceptable.

"Do you see where I am coming from now, Sister?" He asked, finally tearing his eyes away from my baby. I could do nothing but nod once. I still had the keys to the Vanquish in my hands so I knew he wouldn't hurt my car. Time for another deal to be struck.

"I will allow you to drive this car, Edward. If you so much as pull the seat-belt too hard, _I swear I will kill you slowly and painfully._" I threatened. I would do it if I was pushed to it.

"I could say the same thing to you, dear." He teased, holding his hands out for the keys. Smug git was copying my actions from earlier in the evening. I huffed once before moving over to the west wall where the keys for my cars hung on hooks. I quickly located the correct key and took them gingerly into my hand. I looked at them longingly before placing them into his hand. I was in the passenger seat before he had a chance to turn around.

The only word to come out of his mouth when he got in was "What?"

"I have to show you how to get out of here with this." I stated, opening the glove-box and pulling out a small remote. I pressed the top button on it and replaced it back into the glove-box before gently closing it. The plinth that the car was sitting on lowered so that it became flush with the floor. I pointed to the open ramp at the far end of the room, indicating to him how to get out. He started up my baby and she purred to life like a contented lion. Just the sound of her engine thrumming was enough to set my dead heart fluttering. He eased my car down the ramp and around the back of the garage towards the front of the house.

"There, no damage done." He teased, pulling a strand of my hair.

"I swear to God, Cullen, if you hurt this car I will beat you into chipping stones." I warned him, pointing one, very stressed out finger into his face. He raised his right hand into the boy scout salute and placed the other over his heart.

"I promise not to hurt your baby as long as you don't hurt mines." His voice was even as he held out his hand, offering to shake mines. I narrowed my eyes and got out of my car while I was still sure I had the ability to. I didn't even look back as I strode to the Vanquish and tossed my two bags inside. I got into the drivers seat and instantly felt better about the 'swapping cars for the trip home' thing. The soft leather caressed my stone skin as I settled into the seat. The smell from the car mixed with Edward's unique honey and lilac scent was intoxicating. I couldn't help the low moan that sounded from my throat. This was automotive heaven. I carefully adjusted the seat, being careful not to break anything. Edward had, by this time, swung the Zonda around so that we were parked next to each other. He buzzed the window down and I was met with the biggest shit-eating grin I had seen on his face.

"You alright there, Kali? Do you need a moment alone with the car?" His eyebrows raised as he teased me.

"You should talk. You should have seen your face when you got into that thing." I retorted, jerking my head towards him and my car. "I thought you were going to make a mess of the front of your trousers."

"I did not."

"You did."

"I didn't!"

"You know, right now, we sound like Alice and Emmett when they argue." I noted as I turned the Vanquish's engine over. As the gorgeous machine purred into life, another soft moan escaped from my lips, causing Edward to chuckle heartily. I glared at him and revved the Aston's engine, suppressing the low growl of pleasure that was trying to bubble up from my throat. I heard the Zonda engine sound in response and I turned to my brother incredulously.

"Do you want a race, Cullen?"

"Probably not in these cars, Kali. they are too precious." He was deadly serious as he surveyed the exterior of his car and the interior of mines. I wholeheartedly agreed with him.

"We should talk to Esme about extending the garage in Forks to accommodate some of your cars." He mused thoughtfully.

"Edward, I have three cars there just now. This one will make three and I have two more coming in the next two weeks. You don't have enough space for all of my cars."

"You have six cars there, Kali. We could make the room."

"Edward, how many cars do you think I have?" I raised an eyebrow and filled my head with trivia on the great battleship Bismark.

"I don't know." He conceded.

"I have seventy-eight cars, Edward. That's not including the 'disposable' ones."

"Really? Where do you keep them?"

"Garages like that one all over the place. The one in London holds my classic cars. I think two of my Bentley's are currently on display at the Glasgow Transport Museum in Scotland."

"What others do you have?" I had a fleeting idea that all vampires were 'Autophiles'. I hadn't met any from this era that didn't have a great love of speed.

"I'll compile a list for you, dear. Right now, we should get back home. We have been gone about two hours now and Bella will be waiting for you."

This seemed to spur him on as he nodded once and sped out of the driveway and onto the motorway with my hot on his heels. As we drove, as long as we were about fifty feet apart, we could hear each perfectly, both talking and communicating in thoughts. After we exhausted all the boring topics, we travelled in companionable silence. We were on our way home. I loved even thinking that. I had a home with my new family. My mother and father and my brothers and sisters and Bella. That fabulous little human who trusted us all so completely. I was shocked with how well she had taken to me. I was midway through reciting all the things I loved about her in my head when I screamed out in agony.I barely managed to get the car to the hard shoulder before driving became impossible. It felt like my head was on fire.

Images whirled through my head of Bella, in her room, unpacking after her trip to Florida. She looked thoughtfully at a scrap of paper she had pulled from a drawer before everything went black. Nothing.

"EDWARD!" I screamed. He was parked behind me instantly, out of the car and next to my driver's side holding my head in his hands.

"Kali! What happened? What's wrong?" His voice was distant and urgent. He was terrified.

"Her whole future, everything just disappeared." I managed to choke out. My head was pounding and I was finding it difficult to think in straight lines.

"Who's future?" He pressed.

"Bella's. She is going to see the mutt." I felt suddenly furious. We had spent all fucking weekend trying to take care of things that were a danger to her and she was just going to stroll across the treaty line to spend time with some of the most volatile and unpredictable creatures on the planet.

"Edward, we are twenty minutes from home and her future goes blank in twenty two. Move your arse and stop her!"

"Will you be alright?" I'll be fine, take my car and go!" I jerked my head out of his hands and shoved against his chest, making him move. "GO!" I yelled before leaning my throbbing skull against the headrest of the seat. I barely registered the Zonda ricocheting forward and out of sight when my mobile phone rang.

"Carlisle?" I asked, noting the name on the screen before I answered.

"Alice is on the phone with Edward right now and demanded that I phone you and make sure you are alright. What happened?"

"I'm fine. Unexpected side-affect of spending so much time around Alice." I said, hoping to placate him. I really wasn't feeling up for a long discussion about why my brain was currently trying to vacate my head in a very painful manner.

"Would you like someone to come and get you? Alice knows where you are." He offered. I considered it, then realised what car I was in.

"I'm in the Vanquish, Carlisle. I'm not sure that's the best idea."

"He let you drive it? How?"

"I offered him a Pagani Zonda. Don't tell Emmett." I said evenly. "I'll be home soon. Maybe half an hour or so. I'll see you soon." I said, hanging up the phone and throwing it into the passenger seat.

* * *

I got home about thirty minutes later, just like I had planned and walked into the front room, only to be faced by a whole line of vampires with questions.

"What happened?" Carlisle asked, coming to stand by my side.

"Nothing. I was concentrating on Bella, Alice's gift kicked in and I got a headache. Edward has gone to deal with Bella just now." I explained.

"Is Bella alright?" Esme urged.

"She will be fine now. She was planning a little trip to wolf-land, as I am sure Alice has informed you. I saw her future black out so Edward went to stop her." I shrugged and went to move past Alice to get upstairs.

"Hold on, short-stack!" Emmett called "How the hell did you get him to give you the Vanquish?" I couldn't control the laughter that burgeoned out of me. His indignation was hilarious.

"Em, We only swapped cars for the ride home. He was more than happy to take mines." I said, trying to remain aloof, dragging out his agony.

"What did you give him?" he demanded.

"I gave him a 2006 Pagani Zonda." I stated simply before heading upstairs. A nice, lour roar of _**"For fuck sake!"**_ rattled the house and then an earsplitting crash shook the windows as Esme slapped her son in the head for his language again. I decided to finish off some neglected essay that was due for the next day for school. My whole life was surreal now. By day, I was a student at Forks High School, worrying about homework, unwanted male attention and fitting in. By night, I was driving super-cars worth hundreds of thousands of pounds and chasing psycho vampires and battling with horse-sized wolves. Yes, my life was completely bizarre now. I shook my head, giggling to myself and focused on my work. Assuming Edward didn't lock Bella up in a cupboard, she would be at school tomorrow and I would have to have a little word with her about her choice of friends. If I was risking my life to keep her safe, the bloody nuisance could at least help us.

* * *

_**Author Note: For a look at some of Kali's vehicles, check out my profile. **_


	13. Three Kinds Of Devious

Three kinds of Devious

Chapter 13

From what I had heard from Alice, Bella was less than impressed with Edward for stopping her. I couldn't have cared less about whether she was happy. I just wanted her to be safe long enough for me to kill her myself. Her seeming lack of gratitude for all of us risking ourselves for her benefit had pissed me off no end. What was the point of us hunting for psychotic vampires if she was going to run off to volatile wolf pups? I had to try and control my temper though. I was trying to do my homework and had already ripped two notepads and split nine pens in half - I was getting fed up of washing ink off of my hands. Thankfully Emmett provided some distraction for me.

"Kals, Can I come in a second?" He asked after lightly tapping my bedroom door. I had recently accosted him for just barging in while I was getting changed. I had punted him right across the river the second time he did it. There had not been a third.

"Sure Em, Come on in." I said, moving from the desk I was at to sit on my bed. Emmett paused for a second, as per our _'entering a room etiquette'_ talk. When he finally entered, I was sitting, waiting on him to come and join me. He noted the pile of broken stationary and notepads and chose, rather wisely, to leave the topic alone.

"Well, Emmett, what can I do for you?" I asked, signaling him for him to sit next to me.

"I wanted to ask if I could borrow your car." Emmett's face was the picture of innocence and there was no way in hell I was trusting that.

"What car and what for?" I asked, my eyes narrowed as I tried to focus on his mind but came up with nothing but instant replays from a recent wrestling pay-per-view.

"I was just going to pick up my new Xbox game from the mall in Olympia."

"Oh, awesome. I'll come with you. I need some new books." I suggested, suppressing a grin when he appeared completely crestfallen.

"That's alright, I'll get Rosie to go tomorrow." He said, sounding very down.

"Just tell me why you want my damn car, Emmett."

"I wanted to drag race with Jasper." He admitted. The words came out in a rush as he dodged the slap I was aiming at his head. "He bet he could beat me and my jeep just isn't up to the task."

"What will he be driving?" I didn't really need the answer. Jasper hadn't been out of the Audi since it arrived. I was seriously considering giving it to him as a gift, but Alice told me not to do it yet. I would have to have a little word with her. She didn't mention anything to me about a bloody drag race. "It's the Audi, right?"

"Yeah. Can I use the Lamborghini?"

"Emmett, I don't know if it's a good idea. If you get caught, you will be in my car and I can't be bothered recieving a lecture from Cheif Swan about speed limits."

"We won't get caught." He reassured me.

"I don't know. We will wait till Jazz and Alice get home and I will take to you both about it."

"If you must." He huffed.

"Yes, I must." I stated, effectively ending that conversation. I got up from the bed, patting him on the back on the way passed. "Emmett, I will have to take you up to my house and show the garage. I rendered Edward speechless with it and Rosalie was quiet for a whole two minutes."

"Bullshit."

"I kid you, not." I confirmed. " I will take you after school, tomorrow."

"Sweet!"

"Can I finish my homework now?"

"Sure," He said, standing up and giving me a hug. "We wouldn't want you to get detention. It would sully the good Cullen name."

"Bugger off, Emmett, I have to finish an English paper." He let me go and left me to my own devices. Hopefully I would be able to get through the essay without breaking this pen- It was my last one.

* * *

"If I asked you to do something, would you trust me?" Edward asked Bella. We were sitting outside the school in my Volkswagen Golf, after arriving just in time for class. My interest was instantly peaked so I focused on his gift and tried to find out what was going on.

_"Jacob is here. He wants to tell her about the fight between Emmett and Paul. He wants to tell her about Victoria, too."_ Edward thought. I fought back a hiss and forced my hands to uncurl. I was seriously going to tear that fucking mutt apart. Alice was sat next to me, tensed as her vision disappeared.

"That depends." Bella said curiously.

"If I asked you to stay in the car, would you?" Edward pressed. The boy had no chance and he knew it.

"But why?" Edward's eyes roamed the car park of the school until they rested on a black motorbike that belonged to Jacob. He was leaning against it with his arms crossed, watching us with intent eyes as the students around him gave him a wide berth. They thought he was dangerous. They had no idea just how bad he was.

"Oh." Bella responded, unbuckling her seat belt. I knew Edward's Alice's and my own eyes rolled as she climbed out of my car. This girl was going to be the death of all of us.

"You jumped to the wrong conclusion last night" Edward said. "He asked about school because he knew that I would be where you were. He was looking for a safe place to talk to me. A place with witnesses.

"I'm not staying in the car, Edward." Bella said adamantly.

"Of course not. Well, let s get this over with. Edward groaned lowly. the four of us walked over to the mutt who's face was a hardened mask. I got the distinct impression that he would be devastatingly handsome, if he smiled. Perhaps that's why he reserved smiling exclusively for Bella.

_"Fucking leeches are always with her. Even better. She will know what they are like after this."_ His thoughts spat venom at us while they cradled Bella. He loved her. His whole being thrummed when he was in her presence. It was disgusting. When we finally stood in front of him, Edward pulled Bella to the side slightly, shielding her right side from the wolf. I very slowly stepped forward, protecting her left side so that the only visible part of her was her head and shoulders. You could have called us, Edward said in a cold, hard voice. I don t have any leeches on my speed dial. Jacob sneered.

"You could have reached me at Bella s house, of course." Edward pointed out.

_'Yeah, I know leech.'_ the wolf thought. His jaw tensed and his eyes narrowed at Edward's suggestion.  
I already know what you came to say, Edward reminded Jacob in voice so low that Bella had very little chance of hearing it. "Message delivered. Consider us warned."

"Warned?" Bella asked blankly. "What are you talking about?"

_'Just give me an excuse, mutt, and I will kill you.' _I thought to myself. _'One step forward, one dirty look and I will throw you back to the hovel you came from'_

"You didn't tell her?" Jacob asked, his eyes widening with disbelief. "What, were you afraid she d take our side?

"There are no sides, Jacob." I stated. "Just a bad misunderstanding, now drop it."

"What don't I know, Edward?" Bella asked. Her heart rate increased and so did the hormones in her system responsible for fear and anger. Edward said nothing. Alice and myself decided to plead the fifth, hoping that she would be placated until we get her inside and away from the mongrel.

"Jake?" She asked. We were done for. This mutt would tell her anything that he thought would get her away from us or see us in a bad light.

"He didn't tell you that his big . . .brother crossed the line Saturday night?" he asked, his tone thickly layered with sarcasm. Then his eyes flickered back to Edward. "Paul was totally justified in..."

"It was no man's land, Mutt. I should know, I dragged him back." I sneered.

"Was not!" He yelled immaturely. I stopped myself from replying when I saw that his anger and rage were getting the better of him.

_'Must not phase. Must not phase'_ he repeated to himself over and over again in his head. His hands and shoulders visibly shook as the heat emanating from his body increased.

"You don't want to do that here, wolf." Alice said.

"You want to expose yourself, wolf, go right ahead." I teased. I was so far beyond finished with this piece of crap and his attitude and disrespect were pissing me off more than ever.

"Emmett and Paul?" Bella asked, trying to regain Jacob's attention and calm him down. Probably for the best seeing as he was vibrating like a tuning fork. "What happened? Were they fighting?" Her voice rose as her panic increased "Why? Did Paul get hurt?"

"No one got hurt, Bella." I reassured her.

"You didn't tell her anything at all, did you? Is that why you took her away? So she wouldn't know that?" Jacob began

"Shut your mouth, **_NOW_**." I said, my voice had dropped to its lowest, deadliest level.

"Leave. Now." Edward said, his eyes narrowing as he became just as deadly as me. Jacob raised his eyebrows, but made no other move. Why haven t you told her? Bella had been inordinately quiet during our little three-way exchange and I realised that she had figured it out. The only reason why we, the Cullens and the wolves, would all be hunting at the same time, so close together was.

"Victoria came back for me." She said in a tone that barely disguised her panic. She began to hyperventilate and Alice began trying to calm her down.

"What the fuck was the point in that, Jacob? Is that better than her not knowing?" I demanded, taking a step forward and ignoring Edward's restraining hand on my arm.

"Better scared than lied to." He retorted, finally taking the step forward I was internally begging him to make. "You don t think Bella has a right to know?" Jacob challenged. "It's her life."

"Do you really think hurting her is better than protecting her?" Edward murmured.

"She's tougher than you think," Jacob said. "And she's been through worse." Then the whole situation changed.

Jacob's mind flooded with the most heart-breaking images of Bella. She was lying on the forest floor, covered in dirt and wet from the rain, crying for Edward- calling his name over and over again. Then the image changed to Bella sitting in some kind of plastic shed, looking like death warmed up. Her arms were wrapped around her chest like she was trying to hold herself together. She was broken and heart-broken. Her eyes were sunken and held huge purple, sleepless bruises under them. Then the last images and sounds speared me to the floor and caused me to start breathing in shallow gasps. It was night-time. Jacob was outside Bella's house and the most horrific screaming was coming from her room. It ripped at my insides and made me feel like ice. The scene shifted and I could see Bella now, screaming in her sleep, being tortured by her dreams. The tears rolling down her cheeks couldn't be stopped and she couldn't wake herself from the dream. It was soul-destroying.  
Bella gazed towards Edward. his face was contorted with pain. his whole, angelic face looked like he was being burned from the inside out. When I saw his face I realised what we were being shown. This was Jacob reminding him of just how bad Bella was after he left her.

"Stop it, NOW!" I said, my voice trembled as I tried to reign in anger, pain, fear and heartbreak. Jacob simply tilted his head to the side, focusing more on Edward than ever before. Bella turned to look at Jacob who beamed at her.

"That's funny." Jacob sneered, re-focusing his efforts on Edward.

"What are you doing to him?" Bella asked anxiously.

"It's nothing, Bella," Edward told her quietly. "Jacob just has a good memory, that's all." I couldn't help but think that _that_ was an understatement. The mongrel grinned widely, sending another crippling image of a destroyed Bella our way, causing Edward and myself to wince again.

"Stop it! Whatever you re doing." Bella demanded.

"Sure, if you want." Jacob shrugged. "It's his own fault if he doesn't like the things I remember, though."

"You miserable, disrespectful PUP!" I growled. "If I catch you here again, I swear on all the Gods that may be listening I will tear you into little lumps of fur."

"Kali, enough!" Bella scolded. How the _hell_ was she defending this runt after what he just did to Edward? She had lost her goddamn mind.

"We have to go." Edward said suddenly. "Mr. Greene is coming to discourage loitering on school property. Let's get to English, Bella, so you re not involved.

"Overprotective, isn't he?" Jacob said, addressing Bella directly. "A little trouble makes life fun. Let me guess, you're not allowed to have fun, are you?"

"Shut up, Jake." She responded. not the most eloquent but it did the job... or at least should have.

"You know, I still have your motorcycle in the garage..." he said, swinging for a completely different subject now.

"You were supposed to sell that." Bella replied, blushing furiously.

"Yeah, right. Like I would do that. It belongs to you, not me. Anyway, I ll hold on to it until you want it back. I think I might have been wrong before, you know, about not being able to be friends. Maybe we could manage it, on my side of the see me."

"I, er, don t know about that, Jake."

"I miss you every day, Bella. It's not the same without you."

My teeth bared slightly with this comment. _'Just let me shut him up... that's all I ask.'_ I thought. Edward's head shook imperceptibly. Bella was distracted anyways.

"I know and I'm sorry, Jake, I just . . ."

He shook his head, and sighed. "I know. Doesn't matter, right? I guess I'll survive or something. Who needs friends?" He grimaced.  
Edward's shielding arms had become restraints for Bella as she took an involuntary step forward, drawn to the sound of Jacob's pain.

"Okay, get to class," a stern voice sounded behind us. "Move along, Mr. Crowley."

"Get to school, Jake," Bella whispered. Edward released her, taking just her hand. I stepped away from her so that it wouldn't look too much like we were protecting her.

"I mean it," he was threatening. "Detention for anyone who s still standing here when I turn around again." The audience melted away before he was finished with his sentence. "Ah, Mr. Cullen. Do we have a problem here?"

"Not at all, Mr. Greene. We were just on our way to class."

"Excellent. I don't seem to recognize your friend." Mr. Greene turned to glower at Jacob. I couldn't help but follow Mr. Greene's lead and glare at him myself. "Are you a new student here?" Mr. Greene s eyes scrutinized Jacob, and I could see that he'd come to the same conclusion everyone else had: dangerous. A troublemaker.

"Nope," Jacob answered, half a smirk on his broad lips.

"Then I suggest you remove yourself from school property at once, young man, before I call the police."

Jacob said, "Yes, sir," and snapped a military salute before he climbed on his bike and kicked it to a start right there on the sidewalk. The engine snarled and then the tires squealed as he spun it sharply around. In a matter of seconds, Jacob raced out of sight. Mr. Greene ground his teeth together while he watched the spectacle.

"Mr. Cullen, I expect you to ask your friend to refrain from trespassing again."

"He's no friend of mine, Mr. Greene, but I'll pass along the warning." Mr. Greene pursed his lips. I knew that Mr. Greene was sizing Edward up, determining just how likely it was that he be a trouble maker.

"I see. If you're worried about any trouble, I'd be happy to-"

"There's nothing to worry about, Mr. Greene. There won't be any trouble." Edward pulled out a half-hearted attempt and dazzling him which seemed to work.

"I hope that's correct. Well, then. On to class. All of you. Alice, Kali. You, too, Miss Swan." Edward nodded, and pulled Bella quickly toward the English building.

"Edward, we have to go to class. I'll speak to you at lunch, okay?" I thought, as Alice and I made our way to Art. He nodded once before ducking into the building with Bella in tow.

"I swear, Alice. I am going to kill him. I don't care if Bella hates me forever, what he just did was horrible."

"What did he do?" She asked in a low voice as we walking into the class.

"He was showing him what Bella looked like when you were all gone. I know what it was like for her, so do you and Edward, but he doesn't need reminded of it. God, the nightmares were heartbreaking, Alice. She just screamed and screamed and wouldn't stop." My eyes watered and venom stung them as the unshed tears covered the surface. I blinked hard, trying to move the venom back into my system.

"It will be okay. Bella will talk to Edward and everything will be alright." She said, her own eyes fogging over slightly. "Are you alright?"

"I think I might to go to the forest when I go home again. I need to hurt something." I said, grabbing up some supplies before I went to my easel.

"I'll come with you." she offered. Her eyes fogged over. "Emmett will come to if you let him drive the Lambo."

"If it means I get to beat the shit out of something then he can drive whatever he likes... except the Zonda." I said. making sure that Alice factored that one into the vision process.

* * *

The next week was spent arguing with Bella about her relationship with the wolves, specifically, Jacob. I had voiced my concerns to her privately, telling her that it was unsafe for her to be around such a young wolf. After seeing their pack mind, only the Alpha could control them. Seeing as this avenue of persuasion had been travelled more often that not, I chose a different one. I had informed her of how Jacob felt about her. I thought that this would be a more prudent way to go about things but it backfired spectacularly. I explained to her how much he cared for her and that they way he felt was different from her- Dangerously different. She may have loved him, but he was**_ in_** love with her and trying to make her see that was frustrating beyond belief. Things came to a head after myself, Alice and Edward went on a hunting trip out of state and had to rush home on the Saturday when Bella's future abruptly and inexplicably disappeared. "I swear to God, Edward, I am going to cause actual bodily damage to one of them. There is no fucking need for her to sneak off to the wolves and there is no need for him to encourage her. Well, there is a need, but he should realise she is spoken for." I never got a response. I knew he was the fastest at running and it was taking everything I had to keep up with him. It was the first time in my long vampire memory that I had struggled to speak while running. The pace he set was blistering.

"Edward..."

"I'm fine, Kali. I just have to get to her."

"She is at La Push, man. You can't go and get her."

"Watch me."

"Edward, STOP!"

"What?" His frustrated demeanor did nothing but endear him to me. His love for this human seeped out of him constantly and never more so that when she was in danger

"I think you should wait on her coming back on her own. We don't have time for a war with the wolves." I reasoned. I walked to him and pulled him into a hug. "Go to her house and wait for her there. I will call you when she becomes visible again." He released me, looking devastated. He nodded once and took off like a bullet. I would need another trip to the forest with Emmett again when I got home. The devious little human was starting to get to me with this love-triangle shit.

After a little more of the forest was cleared, courtesy of myself and Emmett, I did feel better. Alice watched as we felled a good number of trees and carried on to turn them into wood-chips. I did feel better after pummeling on rather large rock into sand. Emmett laughed his head off at me as I threw punch after vicious punch into the stone. We got home about five in the afternoon, just in time to see a semi-truck roll up to the front of the house.

"What the fuck is that?" I asked Alice. her eyes fogged and a grin spread across her face that would have put the angels in heaven to shame.

"Alice..."

"You'll see" she said as she started bouncing on her toes with nervous excitement. I gave up trying to reason with her, settling on reading her mind instead. She was promptly blocking me by running through the fall Vogue catalogue. I gave up on her and focused on the driver instead.

_"Look at them. Spoiled rich kids. Probably crashed there last one and mommy and daddy got them a new one."_ Crashed the last one? Oh God, what had Alice done now?

The driver got out of the cab of the truck and immediately began to run his eyes up and down Alice and I. I bit my tongue until I tasted venom and fought the hiss that threatened to break through my teeth. To focus my attentions elsewhere, I walked round the truck until I saw the flatbed it dragged and the cargo it carried. I owed Alice an apology. Edward had finally come through with his promise to Alice. The bight, canary yellow Porsche was strapped into place on the truck, gleaming in the cloudy daylight like a beacon. Alice's joy was not to be contained and Jasper came out to lead her inside. Myself and Emmett stayed outside with the driver.

"I'm looking for a Mr. E. Cullen?" The driver asked, still not quite managing to take his eyes off of my body. God, human men were fucking pigs!

"That's me." Emmett piped up, moving forwards and slinging a massive arm round my shoulders.

_"Hm, might of guessed she would be with the big guy."_ The drivers mental tone made the venom in my system pound in my ears. I focused on calming myself until Jasper blasted me with peace.

"Thanks jazz." I said, too quickly for the pervert of a delivery man to hear.

"Right, kiddo, I need some I.D. and a couple of signatures and she is all yours." The driver addressed Emmett with ten times more respect than he had with either me or Alice. I wanted to teach him some manners, but then again, my temper was running rather high this week so it was best to stamp down those urges. Emmett handed over ID and signed the clipboard that the perv had offered him. He slipped a couple of hundred dollar bills under the catch on the board and placed it on the seat of the truck cab before moving to the back and inspecting the Porsche.

"Edward is gonna be in so much trouble when Bella sees this." Emmett muttered at a very low volume.

"I think it best to stick it in the garage where she can't see it." I reasoned... I saw where his mind was going and beat him to the punch.

_**"DIBS!"**_

"I want to drive it!"

"He would never fit in it." Alice thought from inside, causing me to laugh out loud. This brought the drivers attention back to me. I didn't need to be inside his head to hear the salacious, vulgar thoughts. Emmett finally clocked onto the driver's lust, probably smelling the hormones from him and dropped a quick kiss onto my cheek before squeezing me against his chest in a sideways hug. The driver immediately turned his attentions back to the car.

"Thanks, Emmett." I muttered under my breath.

"I didn't like him looking at my sister like that." He stated quietly. The whole delivery took about ten minutes and by the time it was finished I literally wanted to bury my head in the sand to avoid the images that the human had concocted. They were vile. He did however leave rather quickly after Emmett flashed his teeth at him menacingly. the driver handed the keys over to Emmett and swiftly drove the truck back down the driveway. I knocked the keys out of Emmett's hand and got into the Porsche.

"Fuck off! I want to drive it!" He yelled and I started the engine.

"Bugger off, you will break it!" I said as I reversed it towards 'The Showroom'

"I need to call Edward and let him know his bribe is here and Alice needs to come out and drool on it."

I quickly called Edward to inform him that the Porsche was here and that it was a foul trick, even by my standards, but I agreed with it completely. He was completely unapologetic as he informed me that it was a thank you for Alice for babysitting Bella everytime he went hunting from now on. It made sense when he explained it and I congratulated him on dealing with two problems at once. We still had the problem of his cancelled hunting trip. He hadn't fed for nearly two weeks now and it was beginning to tell. His eyes were almost completely pitch black now and being in Bella's presence wasn't going to help any. I arranged for the boys to go hunting that weekend and we would watch Bella.

"I'm going to Port Angeles. We need food for Bella. Does anyone want to come with me?" I was surprised, not that most people said no, but that Alice had declined the offer to shop for anything, even disgusting items like pasta and vegetables. I took pity on Esme, agreeing to go in Alice's place. I had been psyching myself up for it the whole journey there, but never really preparing myself for the onslaught of smells coming from the supermarket we stopped at. It was my discovery that the Italian food Esme was now searching for smelled worse than other kinds I had come across.

"It get's easier to put up with, dear." Esme offered as we got out of the car at the market.

"God, I hope so. It smells _revolting_." I complained, rubbing my nose to try and soothe it. It didn't work. As I thought those last three words, I realised that Edward's plan to have us effectively kidnap Bella for the weekend wasn't going to work. she would rebel and fight and scream about it.

"Are you alright dear?" Esme asked "I just realised. Bella is going to be so ticked off at the idea of being babysat. She won't go down without a fight."

"I don't doubt that for a second. But it is necessary to keep her safe, so that's what we will do." I didn't want to be anywhere near that one when Bella finally figured it out. She **_would _**find a way to kill me and Alice.


	14. Sleepover Jailbreak

Author Notes: Stephanie Meyer Owns All Things Twilight...except for my growing Jasper obsession... that one is all me.

Thanks to Bella C'ella Luna and Content1

Enjoy the sleep over.

* * *

Chapter 14

_Sleepover Jailbreak_

"You guys are kidnapping me, aren't you?"Bella asked us on the Thursday afternoon after her jaunt down the La Push.

The boys had all gone hunting and operation '_Keep Bella From Wolf World'_ was in full swing. Alice and I glanced at each other. I remained silent while Alice nodded and smiled at Bella. We had originally tried to pass the idea off as a sleepover with just us girls. She didn't buy it. Not for a single second. It didn't take Bella long to figure out that myself and Alice were, effectively, holding her against her will. Our instructions were that, in Edward's absence, we were responsible for her safety. Knowing her capacity for accidental mishaps and Edward's ever-increasing temper, we were sticking to the plan religiously.

"You are staying with us until Saturday. Esme cleared it with Charlie. You are staying Thursday night, we will drive to school together on Friday and then straight to our house after school for more girly stuff." Alice was waxing lyrical now. She could have been talking to the steering wheel of the car for all the attention myself and Bella were paying. I was not as open to the idea of 'Girly Stuff' as Alice seemed to think I was and I knew for a fact that Bella hated it.

_"Why?"_ Bella asked. She actually just about hissed through her teeth at the Pixie who seemed to be oblivious to the rising temper to her immediate right.

"He paid me off." There was no need for any of us to speak the name of the person responsible for this.

"How?"

"The yellow Porsche," Alice declared, completely unrepentant. "It's exactly like the one I stole in Italy."

"Alice, take a chill pill, will ya? The car's suspension can't take all the bouncing." I was frantically trying to calculate how much pressure the shocks on Edward's Volvo would be able to withstand before they shattered completely. It didn't look good and it would mean that Rose would spend a good portion of the next two days stuck underneath it.

"How is he paying you off?" Bella snapped at me, glaring in my direction.

"I'm getting nothing out of this deal. I'm just hear to keep Alice from exploding with excitement over turning you into a barbie doll for the next two days. That and my Bentley may or may not have been threatened at some point."

Bella was unimpressed to say the very least. She grumbled her way through direct questions and discussions. Alice did offer a roadtrip to LA and back and I had to admit, I would have been quite happy to go along with that one, but Belle declined. She was just making herself more miserable. Rather than making the best out of a pretty crap situation, she decided that pouting like a kid was the way forward. Well, if Bella wasn't going to take Alice up on her offer for a drive to LA, I decided that I would. Alice beamed at me when she got her 'confirmation vision' and drove us home.  
We wound up the driveway always just that little bit too fast whenever Alice was behind the wheel. Edward would be really pissed if we broke the Volvo. She screamed the car into the garage and avoided crashing through the back wall by millimeters. Bloody show-off.

"Edward will kill you if he sees how you drive his car. No wonder you are banned from even looking at the Vanquish...," I said, jumping out of the Volvoand grabbing the bags as I went. I watched as Bella scan the garage for the bribe. Parked in between Rosalie's BMW and Emmett's Jeep, was the offending article. It stuck out like a sore thumb, it's sleek yellow paint job catching even the smallest glimmer of sunlight. It was like Alice was drawn to the machine. She couldn't be near it without stroking it or touching it and right now was no exception. I couldn't blame her. I was the owner of a couple of Porsches and they all solicited this reaction from me. As Bella clambered out of the car, Alice sped towards the Porsche and began running her hand over the bonnet.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Alice asked. she wasn't asking anyone in particular. She was just marvelling at the glorious machine under her hand.

"Pretty over-the-top," Bella countered. "He gave you that for just two days of keeping me hostage?"  
I exchanged a very loaded look with Alice and decided to plead the fifth. I knew Bella was human and delicate and cute when she was angry, but I really didn't need to see her furious. The blood rushing to her face would be a sore point, but I had a sneaking suspision that even in human form, she could have brought a vampire to it's knees. Alice, however, foresaw no problem in riling Bella's monster. She just shook her head at Bella's assumption and grinned like a maniac. I watched as my fragile little sister's mouth turned down at the corners, forming a grimace as she became totally and utterly horrified. "It's for every time he goes away, isn't it?"

Alice just nodded while I watched Bella stomp off towards the house at a reasonable human pace, paying close attention to her footfalls, waiting to catch her if she fell over. I had been informed by Edward that there was a good possibility that I would have to catch her. She reached the house door, yanking it open and I was hit with what I could only describe as the smell of burning sewage. Whatever the hell it was that Esme was cooking, it smelled putrid.

"Alice, don't you think this is just a little bit controlling?" She asked, dumping her bag on the floor next to the row of hunting shoes next to the door."You know, just a teeny bit psychotic?"

I saved Alice the bother of responding by answering that one myself. "Bells, It's not really as bad as you think," I placed a hand on her shoulder, ignoring the burn that being in contact with her skin caused. "You don't seem to understand how volatile werewolves are."

"You are biased." she accused.

"I've seen inside their heads, Bella. They are quick to temper and take so long to calm down. A split second is all it takes for someone to get hurt around them if they lose control." Something I said must have struck a chord with her. She fell silent and walked towards the kitchen to greet Esme.

"Alice, I'm not so sure this was the best idea," I whispered, keeping out of the range of human hearing. "She is fucking pissed!"

"Yes, well, I would rather have her angry than dead." I flinched at the brutality of her statement, internally fizzing that her deduction was actually pretty accurate. I threw myself onto the sofa and contemplated pissing off to my house for the night, but I was instantly slapped in the head by Alice for even thinking it. Bloody gypsy.

"This is ridiculous." Bella stormed back into the room, plonking herself into the seat next to me.

"Bella, the wolves are dangerous." I stated.

"You really shouldn't be so reckless." Alice chimed in.

"Yeah, because a vampire sleepover is the pinnacle of safety conscious behaviour." Alice just laughed at her so I put my arm around her shoulders.

"Come on Bells, it won't be that bad." I offered.

"I'll give you a pedicure and everything." Alice suggested as she pulled Bella off the sofa and towards the stairs to endure the first of tonight's tortures.

I personally thought the first night went well, Esme's cooking aside. I stuck out the smell after I made Alice promise that I would not be stopped from leaving after Bella was asleep so I could go hunting. I did offer Rosalie the chance to escape with me, but she not-so-politely declined. We seemed to be working to a script all night. I knew that Alice would have the next forty-eight hours planned down to the last second. We started with Bella's favourite movies, then we did some homework, Bella ate her dinner and I hung my head out of the window in a vain attempt to get away from the smell. Then we were all (Esme and Rose as well) ferried into Alice and Jasper's room for varied beauty treatments. I personally thought these to be redundant as our skin was impenetrable but Alice insisted. I didn't like the smell of the seaweed mask she put on my face. Not only was it completely unnecessary but it stank to high heaven. Once everyone had been subjected to at least three treatments, Bella called time on the whole charade by declaring she was tried and wanted to go to bed.

"Where will I be sleeping, anyway?" Bella asked, eying the living room couch with a measure of doubt. I had to suppress a laugh. Yeah, like Prince Edward of Charming would allow his princess to sleep on a sofa. "Can't you just keep me under surveillance at my house?"

"What kind of a slumber party would that be?" Alice shook her head at Bella's apparent slowness. "You're sleeping in Edward's room."

"Can I go back to my place to get my things, at least?" It was my turn to shake my head. If Bella thought that kidnapping her was a stretch, she was unaware of Alice's breaking and entering episode while she and Edward were out last night.

"Already taken care of." Alice grinned smugly. "Alice, can I borrow your phone?"

"Charlie knows where you are, Bella." I said, not fully understanding why she would need a phone. "I wasn't going to call Charlie. Apparently, I have some plans to cancel." Oh fucking brilliant. Edward goes on a rather necessary hunting trip and she wants to fuck off down to the dog pound.

"I'm not sure about that." Alice was nervous. We had instructions not to let her near the mutt.

"Alice! C'mon!" Bella whined. I saw a tantrum in the offing the likes that even the Cullen household had never seen before. That being said, Alice picked the perfect time to become a pushover.

"Okay, okay,"she said, pulling a mobile out of her jeans pocket. "Edward didn't specifically prohibit this...," murmuring as she handed Bella the phone. There was a rather quick conversation about Bella's inability to appear at La Push tomorrow after school, a mildly amusing threat from Jacob that some wolves would be coming to liberate Bella and then a rather pathetic attempt at guilting her into a visit. God, that mutt was desperate. Once that phone call was over, Bella dialled a new number.

"He won't have his phone on him." Alice told her. The boys didn't take mobiles when they hunted. They generally ended up wrestling and breaking whatever was in their pockets.

"I'll leave him a message." I didn't quite manage to contain the hilarity that Bella threatening Edward with the wrath of a grizzly bear had inspired in me. The thought was ludicrous. She couldn't hurt him if she wanted to. That being said, her anger spiked again whenever she made her way to Edward's room and discovered the huge wrought iron bed he had purchased for her. Esme had taken delivery of it this morning while we were at school and had set everything up perfectly. It did require a re-shuffle of Edward's other furniture, but from what I saw from her mind, she did an astonishing job. Once she was upstairs, I went on a quick hunt to clear my head of the human and 'food' smells. I wasn't gone long like I had planned, but when I got back to the house, the atmosphere had changed. I could hear Bella's steady, slow breathing indicating that she was in a reasonably deep slumber. Alice and Esme were quietly going about their business, being careful not to wake up Bells. The biggest difference was Rosalie. She was in the garage when I got back and before I had the chance to even think about pulling Edward's gift forward when she turned from the passenger's side of my Golf.

"Don't even think about it Kali, or I will turn the Lamborghini into shrapnel." she warned. I really didn't need to question whether or not she was sincere. Her face told me she was.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Rosalie." I lied, heading into the main house to hang out before school in the morning.

* * *

"Why not just drop the pretenses altogether and lock me in the basement until Saturday?" Bella grumbled. She hadn't slept well last night and it only impacted her previous bad mood. I was in no doubt about the fact that if she had used the bed rather than stubbornly using the couch, she would have fared better. Silly human.

"He's going to take the Porsche back. You're supposed to be having fun and I'm not doing a very good job," Alice looked utterly devastated. I would have probably fell for it had it not been for the fact that I knew Bella was a sucker for guilt trips and Alice was completely unscrupulous. We were just over half way to school when Bella conceded and grumbled herself into silence, deciding to behave herself. She was in a miserable mood all morning. Bella lumbered her way through the first two classes we had before I ended up in class with her.

"Why are you doing this to me?" She asked

"I ain't doing anything," Okay, that was it. I hit my limit and I was done with this coddling the human bullshit!

"Why am I not allowed to go and see Jacob?"

"Because he is dangerous and volatile and I would rather that we kept you close while there is a psychotic vampire trying to put her hand through your chest and squeeze your heart till it pops." Her eyes widened at the frankness of my statement. I had to focus on Jasper's ability to project calm over her before she got us caught.

"The pack can protect me," Bella offered. "I'm sure you would rather that you didn't have to babysit."

"I like hanging out with you, Bella. You are fun and loving and clever. But sometimes you can be a bit dense. We aren't babysitting you. We are protecting you from anyone and anything that could pose a threat to your life. If that means that we have to sacrifice a little bit of freedom, so be it. I have only known this family for a few months and I absolutely dread to think about what it would do to it if something happened to you. You know what it would do to Edward so why can't you just take a pill, chill out and accept that until after graduation, this is how things are going to be?"

"Miss Cullen, question four- The answer please?" I looked into Mr. Varner's mind, not even bothering to pretend I was paying attention.

"They don't balance." I fucking hated fractions at the best of times, and I was in no mood for them today. I was entirely over the babysitting gig. I loved Bella with all that I was but this was ridiculous. I was silent for the rest of the lesson and so was Bella. We separated for the next class.

Me and Alice went to Art and Bella went to Spanish...on the opposite side of the campus. I began to scan the minds of the people in school, searching her out. I was on my third attempt at making a clay vase, but I kept collapsing it. Pottery for humans was difficult, for a mildly pissed off vampire, it was impossible. Thankfully the torture ended and it was just before lunchtime. I was still scanning minds, looking for Bella. I found her in, of all heads, Mike Newton's. They were just walking to the lunch hall together when the roar of a thunderous engine rattled the windows of the cars in the car park.

"Bella, RUN!" Jacob Black screamed as he revved the engine of the motorbike he was straddling on the pavement. Bella's head whipped from side to side, clearly looking for vampire interference. I ran at full, human, speed towards the front of the school. I heard Alice's thoughts as she ran in the same direction.

_"Shit! Edward is going to kill us!"_

"You think?" I said, low enough and fast enough that she would catch it as we met in the hall and barreled towards the doors in unison.

"If anyone asks, I got sick and went home, okay?" Bella asked a still very stunned Newton. She looked so desperate that he immediately complied. His head got a little fuzzy after she kissed him on the cheek in gratitude and ran for the dog on a bike. Myself and Alice burst through the front doors of the school in time to watch her climb on the bike. I stood stock still as the bike roared past us, forcing myself not to make a scene by ripping the fucking mutt's head off. Bella shot us an apologetic glance as she zoomed out of the school. I felt my teeth bare and my hands curl and I imagine that Alice looked the same.

"_**Fuck it!**_" I yelled, garnering a little attention from those around us. I made towards the car with every intention of going after that bike. If I caught them before the boundary line, he was fair game. He was on Cullen territory and kidnapped himself a family member. I was going to destroy him. My movement was abruptly halted by someone grabbing onto my arm.

"That won't help, Kali." Alice said, tightening his grip on the wrist she was holding.

"Fuck that! She just went off with that mongrel. Do you know what Edward will do to us when he finds out? He will rip my head off and beat you to death with it."

"Just wait till she comes back to the house and you can talk to her there." Alice said, towing me towards the car and away from what I still considered to be a pretty solid plan. Killing the wolf would eliminate a lot of problems. "Let's just get back to the house and wait." She suggested anxiously. Alice didn't like her second blindness. She was so used to looking out for Bella that her lack of sight in the area when Bella was with the wolves made her nervous as all hell. I had to admit, she had good reason to be. I had honestly never met a human with a more defined liking for dangerous things. Vampires, werewolves and motorcycles. How she wasn't worm food already baffled me.

"Why are you two home from school? Where's Bella?" Esme came out to the front door when we got home, not even bothering to wait until we got inside. Rosalie followed her out, noted the absence of out little prisoner and went inside, silently cursing her. I had to admit, at this point in time, Rosalie had a very valid point.

"It's funny you should ask that, Esme," I said, stepping around her and heading inside. "The answer to those two questions are quite similar."

"Sorry?"

"Bella ran away to La Push with Jacob Black." Alice said, following me inside and flopping down onto the sofa beside Rosalie. I moved into the kitchen to wash my hands. They were still covered in clay from art class and now my clothes were covered in it too. As the slip washed away, I decided I was going to kill Bella myself. It was a difficult choice of course, but if she was so insistent in putting her life in danger when everyone around her was trying to protect her, then I would shorten the process. It was ridiculous. I had been here the grand total of eleven weeks and I was already sick of it.

"Kali, stop that. Edward won't be happy."

"What did you see, Alice?"

"You driving a car into a tree that had Bella in it. Now, behave." she called.

"Tell it to the human."

"Don't you worry. I will." She promised.

* * *

"OH!"

"Alice? What's wrong?" I asked, holding the pixie's face in my hands.

"I can see her now. She is on the way back."

"Good. I was getting bored and I need something to kick."

"Kali... she will be upset when she gets here. Take it easy on her," Alice asked "Esme, could you put something hot in for Bella's dinner? She is going to need it."

"Already on it, Alice." She called from the kitchen.

"How long?"

"Five minutes." Alice's eyes unfogged as she moved towards the garage to wait. I got up and went into the kitchen with Esme.

"Mom," I began, sitting on one of the breakfast bar stools. "I am confused."

"You called me 'mom'." She beamed.

"Yes, and I have a problem and you are busy grinning like the Mad bloody Hatter because I called you 'mom'."

"Sorry, dear. What's wrong?"

"I am having trouble deciding whether or not I am helping."

"With what?"

"Bella." I said in a small voice. "I mean, it's just so damn frustrating trying to protect her when she fu-buggers off," Esme's face darkened considerably when I was mid-curse." To wolf-boy whenever she gets the chance. She puts herself in danger regardless of how sacrificing we all are. What more am I supposed to do? I am more angry at her than anything else right now and I **_really_** want to shout and scream at her she she gets home but Alice said that she will be upset. So, do I be a bitch or a big sister?"

"Kali, you will be you. You will see what she needs and give her that. You cannot expect to make it right for her. Just be whatever she needs you to be." She placed a hand on my shoulder and turned to look towards the garage door. Bella was arriving there on a motorbike. I could hear the acceleration of her heartbeat as she slowed to a stop. After she stumbling off the bike, I focused on Alice's mind to hear what was happening.  
Bella stood in the middle of the garage facing Alice who appeared to be sitting on the bonnet of her Porsche looking completely inconsolable.

"I haven't even had a chance to drive it yet," Alice muttered, stroking one finger along the yellow paint. Bella was standing in front of her, shivering violently. She resembles something of a 'drowned rat'. She just huffed at Alice's decree.

"You look like you could use a hot shower." Alice noted, taking in Bella's sodden appearance.

"Yeah," Bella's teeth chattered as she spoke. Alice gave her an appraising look, taking in just how upset she seemed to be.

"Want to talk about it?"

"Not really," was her short reply.

"Do you want to go to Olympia tonight?"

"Can't I just go home?" Bella asked but swiftly changed her mind when she saw Alice pout. "Never mind, Alice. I'll stay if it makes it easier on you." At least the girl knew how to pick her battles with regards to the pixie. Alice thanked her and led her inside. After dumping her wet boots at the door, Bella headed straight up the stairs and I got shot a very loud '_Not a word!_' straight from Alice's head.

"Sorry, Kali." Bella mumbled from the top of the stairs before disappearing into Edward's room and taking a shower. Esme flitted around the kitchen sorting out food for Bella, Alice was scanning for reactions from Edward and I was thinking. I was trying to decide whether to kick Bella in the arse or comfort her. Unfortunately, that decision was made for me when I heard Bella stifling a sob while she was in the shower and I had to be physically restrained by Alice and Esme to prevent me from going up there to help her. I was to be a big sister tonight, then. As much as I wanted answers for the stunt she pulled today, she needed me to be there for her more. She finally came downstairs about thirty minutes later, giving me a small apologetic glance before settling down to dinner. I nodded once to Esme who gave us some space and waited for her to go into the living room.

"Alright there, Bells?"

"I'm fine."

_"Kali,"_ Alice thought,_ "The boys will be back about one in the morning."_

"Kals, I'm sorry about..."

"Don't worry, Bells, It's fine," The words were out of my mouth before I could even think about being the bad cop. I was becoming a god damn push over. "By the way... _what the hell_ did Esme cook for you?"

"Um, cannelloni?" She said, poking it with her fork. "It's Italian. Kinda like lasagna. Why?"

"It smells evil." I said, scrunching my nose as she shoveled another load of it into her mouth.

"Sorry."

"Of all the things you could apologise for..."

"Sorry about earlier too."

"It's okay, will talk about it later."

"But..."

"Bella, don't be ridiculous. Now, eat your toxic waste." She giggled a little as she finished eating. We sat, mostly in silence until it was time for Bella to go to bed. She went earlier than I thought she would but I could tell that she was missing Edward and was operating under the theory, that if she went to bed earlier, the morning would come and her other half would be here. God, her other half. He was actually going to rip me into marble chips. By the time Bella had settled into an uneasy sleep, we only had three hours to go before our hunters got home and the inquisition would begin. I shuddered at the thought and began to brace myself for the '**_Wrath Of Edward'_**.


	15. Homecomings and Cigarettes

Author Note: Thanks to Content1 and Bella C'ella Luna for all their help

I don't own it. I just play with it.

Team Jasper FTW!

* * *

**Chapter 15**

Homecomings and Cigarettes.

I waited outside with Rosalie for our hunters to come home. She was anxious to see Emmett and sitting inside for him wasn't enough. We were on the back porch, sitting at either side of the stairs, just watching the sky. One hundred thousand burning suns twinkled and shimmered against the empty black, each of them beautiful and unique. It was remarkably peaceful out here with the only sounds coming from the river, which bubbles and shifted quietly at the bottom of the lawn. Bella, who was finally sleeping in Edward's room and Esme and Alice having a debate about whether or not tartan would be in fashion next season. From the sound of it, we would all be wearing plaid within the next couple of weeks. It was foolish to bet against Alice with regard to such things.

We heard the boys running towards the house, making no effort to be silent as they went. Their laughter increased in volume as it bounced off the trees and filled the cool night air. Rosalie and I stood up and moved onto the grass, scanning the trees, waiting for them to break through. I quickly whispered to Rosalie to shield her thoughts from Edward as I didn't want him to break anything out here. Esme would have a fit. She nodded once and focused her attention back onto the forest. I focused on Edward's gift, allowing it to fill my mind and I heard their jovial thoughts just before they came into view. They broke the treeline, their minds filled with their respective mates. Rosalie bolted towards Emmett and crashed into him with the force of a high-speed collision. They became driven by lust and longing and let out a collective sigh. They noted each others reactions and laughed again. The words _'Pussy Whipped'_ rattled around Emmett's head, causing Edward to stumble with mirth as he landed his jump from the other side of the river. Looking at each of their faces, I began laughing at the ridiculous grins they each wore. They looked like love-sick idiots. I suppose they were.

"Did you have fun, boys?" I asked lightly.

"It was a good trip, dear." Carlisle answered, not really looking at my but more in the direction that he knew his mate was in. A strong current of contentment swathed around me.

"Jazz, knock it off. Your wife is inside torturing Esme with tartan fabric samples. If you don't get in there and try and stop her, we will be wearing plaid until Halloween."

"Yeah, like I could stop her..." he joked, giving my a quick smirk and flitting towards the house. Carlisle followed suit. I would have to go out of the house this evening and go for a drive of hunting or something. The house was going to get rather lustful tonight and I really didn't need to be around that. I turned to Emmett and Rosalie but they were gone as well. They were bloody fast when they were horny, I gave them that. Then the reality hit. I was alone, outside with Edward.

**_Oh great, just great_! **

Now it was up to me to tell him what a magnificent weekend we were having so far. Motorcycles, bad moods, pissing off to La Push to gallivant with some mutts all courtesy of Bella. 

_Oh shit!_ He heard that. His face burned with fury and he looked towards the house. He placed one foot forward, then another.

"Oh no, you don't!" I said, grabbing him around the middle and locking my hands together.

"Get off of me, Kali," His voice was deadly.

"I will after you listen to me." I tightened my grip, squeezing my arms against his torso, holding him steady. He started to think of ways to get out of my grasp, which I read from him and countered. He may have the mind-reading ability on me, but I had five hundred years of fighting and combat on him. He didn't have a hope in hell of getting around me.

"_Fuck off and let me go!_" He growled.

"Edward Cullen, did you just curse in the presence of a lady?" I teased, shifting my weight to the side so I could look at his face. Edward, the epitome of the eternal gentleman, just swore at me. It was hilarious. He very rarely swore but bizarrely, it suited him. I would have to try and convince him to do it more. I couldn't suppress the laughter that bubbled up my throat. He growled at me again in response.

"Hey, I can do this all night, man. It will go a lot quicker if you just calm down and relax." I thought. Finally, he relented his escape attempts and I slowly released his chest, grabbing one of his hands and pulling him towards the porch and shoved his shoulders to sit him down. "Edward, you are to listen to what I am going to say and you are to sit there until I am finished. once I am done, you can go and see Bella. Is that okay?" I didn't think he was capable of speech at the moment and he didn't dismiss my theory either. His response was a simple nod.

"Bella figured out the sleep-over thing ridiculously quickly," I began "She stropped the whole fucking two days, man. She wasn't impressed that we basically captured her and held her against her will. She was in an alright mood on Thursday until she figured it out and her attitude bombed. She grumbled her way through homework, dinner and all the girly crap Alice planned out. She was restless the whole night. She had made plans to go and see Jacob after school today, but she called him and cancelled them just before she ripped you a new one over the phone. Check your phone, by the way. The voice-mail is hilarious. She went to bed and was restless most of the night. She refused to sleep on the bed by the way. She will be on your sofa just now.

"She woke up on Friday morning in the most ridiculous bad mood. She grumbled her way though her first three classes. I kept an eye on her through the other kids heads and Alice was scanning her future every five minutes. I may have snapped at her a little because she was being so fucking immature."

"You did what?" He growled.

"One, don't you dare talk to me like that, Cullen. Two, I said what was needing said to her. Three, you aren't supposed to be interrupting me."

"Sorry," he huffed.

"As I was saying, she was walking in between her third and fourth class when we heard the engine. Jacob Black basically broke Bella out of our jail and took off with her on the back of the bike like a bat out of hell. She came back about four hours later, on a different bike, soaked to the skin and miserable. She must have had a fight with the pup or something but she didn't want to talk about it. I sat with her while she ate dinner, she finished up some homework and went to bed. She settled in a lot faster than Thursday night, but she is still a bit pissed off at us all. She just missed you like mad." I was hoping that ending on a slightly high note would help with the whole '_your girlfriend just flipped the bird to all of us_' thing. I searched his newly ocher eyes, looking for some indication to the reaction he was going to give me.

"Was she hurt in anyway?" He asked in a tight voice.

"Well, she wasn't physically hurt, but, like I said, she had an argument with her puppy so you might have to talk to her about it," I shrugged. He made an attempt at standing up, but I pulled him back down again. "I'm not finished."

"Kali, I have to go and see her."

"Just wait. I can't believe I am about to say this. I _really_ can't but... she came back from the reservation unharmed. Physically, she was fine. It might be an idea to consider the possibility of letting her go down there more often." My voice was raised barely above a whisper as I uttered what felt like blasphemous words.

"Out of the question!"

"Edward, she will get herself hurt if you force her to sneak away. She has done it twice in the past two weeks, one of which was on the back of a motorcycle. Just think about it okay? She is breakable and she could get hurt trying to sneak off."

"I will try." He muttered. Lying little fucker.

"I'm serious, Edward. If you treat her like a kid, she will rebel. Treat her like an adult, she will appreciate it and maybe start to act like one about the whole situation."

"I will consider it." He said stoically, before standing up.

"Just think about it okay, Edward?" I asked ducking under his arm to give him a hug. I felt his head nod against my hair. I leaned away from him and gave him a quick poke in the ribs. "Alright, Romeo, move it! Juliet is waiting upstairs. go and get her." He smiled widely before dashing into the house.

* * *

I left the house that night. The sounds of four mated couples was maybe just a little too much for me. I ended up driving to Tacoma in the Audi. It didn't take that long considering that the highways (Yes, I started calling them that. The family got confused when I didn't). After the two days I had been subjected to, the solitude of the road was the perfect medicine. I had had thoughts running rampant in my head, emotions crashing over me, fits of murderous rage and crushing sadness and I had a funny feeling it would only get worse. I ended up sitting at the edge of The Tacoma Narrows strait, just enjoying the solitude. It was still dark out and the thick cover of clouds gave the whole scene a strange purple hue. The water from the strait lapped gently against the shore and the whole place was serene. I was going to hate leaving this place to go home, but I would eventually, not just yet though.

I moved closer to the water, slipping my shoes off and sitting on the shore and letting the waves lap onto my toes. I could feel each individual grain of sand at it brushed against my feet. I closed my eyes and breathed in a lungful of the saltwater, savouring the taste on the back of my tongue. I had sat like this at the edge of several rivers and oceans before, but this time I was at peace. Before, I would have been miserable. I would contemplate everything that was wrong with my life and how much I had lost. Now, I was here, sitting at the edge of the world and I was happy. I had a new family. Another chance to be part of something bigger than myself.

I sat for an hour, just relishing in the sensation of the foam and sand at my feet when I stood up and headed back to my family. I made it home at 8:30 in the morning. As I approached the house, I was silently thankful that the sounds of the mated couples had died into hushed, loving whispers. At least the moaning was out of the way. It was starting to get tedious and kind of made my chest hurt a little. I remembered that feeling and missed it, even if it was a shadow of what these couples had. I would need a day away from the house today. I decided to ask Jasper and Emmett if they were interested in a shopping trip to Port Angeles. They had been trying to convince me of the benefits of games consoles, specifically, one called an Xbox. I had no idea what it was, but they assured me I would like it when I got one.

"Jasper will be otherwise occupied all day, but Emmett will be free, Kali." Alice called when I opened the front door.

"What am I getting volunteered for?" Emmett grumbled.

"I want to go shopping in Port Angeles, Emmett," I said, placing the keys for the Audi in the same spot Jasper had left them. "I think it is time for me to consider games consoles."

"Sweet! Which one?" Well, at least I got his attention.

"Ones, Emmett. There will be more than one,"

"Kals, if I haven't said it already, you are awesome."

"I'll add that to my already impressive list of attributes. If you move your arse, you can drive,". Thirty seconds later, a fully clothed and buzzing Emmett crashed down the stairs, jumping the last five and landed directly in front of me. "For fuck sake, Emmett. Esme would have killed you if you broke the floor."

"Nah, I would have fixed it and gave her the puppy-dog eyes." He said smugly.

"I heard that, son, and it has been filed away for future reference." Esme said quietly from upstairs.

"Shit," he muttered, punching me on the arm. "You are going to get me into trouble."

"You manage that all by yourself, Em. What do you want to drive today?"

His one word answer was almost like a growl. "Lambo."

"Alright, alright. Here," I tossed him the keys and he was a mountain shape blur heading in the general direction of the garage as he grabbed the keys in mid-air and I knew he would be trying to get into my car. I was not disappointed. I watched with a mixture of amusement and horror as I witnessed one of the funniest things I had ever seen. The sight of Emmett trying to squeeze his six-foot seven frame into a Lamborghini Murcielago was possibly the highlight of my decade. For some reason, adjusting the seat's position seemed like defeat to him and continued to try and fit himself into the space that my five foot eight frame had recently occupied.

"Em, we can take a different car. You are going to break my Lamborghini," I said, taking a step forward.

"**_No!_**" He growled.

"Will you at least move the seat back? I'm nearly a foot shorter than you, dumbass! You won't fit if you don't," I shoved him out of the way and released the lever for the seat, pushing it back as far as I could and moved to the passenger side and got settled. The hilarity ensued as he tried to shoe-horn his way into my car. "One leg at a time, man,"

After another couple of attempted, my bright-spark of a brother was finally in the car and we were off down the driveway before I had time to make fun of him. Even by my standards, he was driving like a lunatic.

"Emmett, if you crash my car, I swear, I will paint your Jeep bubblegum pink. Am I making myself clear?" I kept my voice even and quiet and allowed it to sound like the threat that it was.

"Kali, chill out. You sound like Eddie-Boy when he talks about his Vanquish."

"Difference is, Em, I will follow through with my threats,"

"Fine, fine,"he conceded, holding both his hands up in surrender. "Just don't touch the jeep."

"Both hands on the wheel, Emmett!" I yelled.

"Take a chill pill," he said, placing his hands back onto the steering wheel.

"Emmett, when I get home, I am taking your Jeep to the nearest garage and having it painted. How does 'Barbie Pink' suit ya?"

"Kali..." His growl was meant to be a warning, but I took it as a challenge. Arrogant little bugger!

"Then drive like a reasonable, seventy year old vampire and not a seventeen year old boy racer in a trouser-tent car."

"Hold on, trouser-tent?" He asked, looking slightly confused.

"Good God, I forgot, you don't get the British stuff. Trouser tent is what happens when you get an erection while wearing trousers."  
"...Well, I think that's the first time I have heard you say erection, Kals." he was thoroughly amused by the idea.

"I am six centuries old, Emmett. I think it's fair to say I know the word."

"Well, if you say so..."

We reached Port Angeles about half an hour later, once I convinced Emmett to slow the fuck down and be careful with my baby. We reached the shopping mall and Emmett dragged me to the nearest shop that looked like it would sell computer games and consoles. If I thought shopping with Alice for clothes was something to behold, then shopping with Emmett was downright scary. He guided me around the store once, spotting his prey and on the second time around, he pounced. The trolley we were in command of was full, literally overflowing. I saw him pile three consoles and then two hand-held consoles and I gave up counting the games after the fiftieth. It seemed to be in my best interest to just let him run riot and do what he liked. This meant that countless games and consoles and several other pieces of equipment, one of which was shaped like a guitar and I was sure that I would hate, would all be my possessions soon enough. Emmett assured me that it would be one of my favourites. Seeing as this was in the realm of his expertise, I bowed to his superior knowledge and went along with it.

Hitting the tills was quite entertaining though. Emmett extricated the two games he was buying from the trolley and paid for them, leaving me with the heap of electrical nonsense he chose for me. He went to pick up the car and I knew, before he even left to get it, that there was no way in hell that this lot was fitting in there.

"Is that everything for you, miss?" the nervous girl at the checkout asked. Her hands shook as she placed the last of the games into a bag. At least this human had the correct natural response to vampires. I should have taken pictures and notes for Bella.

"Yes, thanks." I replied, smiling as I passed her my credit card. Emmett appeared to take the some of the bags outside and the girls face went bright red. I mean, airplanes could have used her face to land safely in a thick fog. Her heart-rate picked up as Emmett smiled at her on the way out. Oh the poor girl was attracted to the great oaf. He came back to pick up the rest of the bags.

"Emmett, you be nice to the girl or I will force-feed you ice-cream." I whispered in a tone that no human had a hope of picking up. He simply nodded and took the last two bags and took them outside. Once we were outside, I noticed that, not only was my Lamborghini here, but there was a van parked behind it.

"Where did you get that?" I asked

"I got it just now," He said. "$6,000. Pretty cheap as these things go."

"Emmett, no-one will drive that once we get it home and we have nowhere to put it."

"I'm going to donate it to the nearest Goodwill I can find once we are done." He said, effectively ending the conversation.

It took us a couple of minutes of heated discussion to decide who would drive what on the way home. I drove the van. It was almost worth it to see Emmett struggle to get himself back into the Lamborghini. I was sorely tempted to cripple the Jeep just so that I could I let him borrow it. Watching him get in and out of this car was priceless. We drove at my speed, because the van had the horsepower of a hairdryer and it was heavily loaded. The only stop we made was at a petrol station to refill the Lamborghini and for me to buy something I hadn't bought for nearly twenty years.

"Pump three please." I told the attendant.

"anything else?"

"Um, packet of Marlboro menthol, please?"

"ID." This guy was no nonsense. I liked his style. I gave him the ID that made me twenty-two years old. The guy checked the photograph, then my face then the photograph again.

"Hm." was his only comment as he tossed the cigarettes and my ID onto the counter. I picked them up and offered him the money for the fuel and my guilty habit and went back to the van. Emmett looked at me like I had lost my mind.

"Kals, what the hell?"

"I am six hundred and two. I am allowed to smoke if I want." I defiantly stated, getting back into the van.

"Esme will kill you."

"Not of the cigarettes get me first." I quipped.

"Can you even smoke those?"

"Yes. I gave it up a while back though."

"Why?"

"It made my clothes stink."

We headed out and were on the road home. The driveway was a pain in the arse in the van. Its center of gravity was a lot higher that I was used to and the load of goodies in the back wasn't helping any, either. We were about half way up the drive when the atmosphere hit us. We had been gone all day and it was nearly five o'clock now. The house was shrouded in a weird aura of anger, fear and confusion.

"Something is wrong." Emmett said from the car behind me.

"I know."

We didn't even take the cars to the garage, abandoning them outside the front door. We got inside and the room was full of statues. Alice was sitting on the sofa opposite the TV with her hands pressed to her head. Jasper sat beside her, holding her around the shoulders. Esme and Carlisle had the other sofa, holding hands and looking terrified.

"Alice, what happened?" I demanded. No-one in the room moved as I powered towards Alice. I barely reached her when Emmett's phone rang out, shattering the silence.

"Edward, what's up?" he asked.

"Bring Jasper and Kali to Bella's house." Edward said in a flat tone.

"What happened?" Emmett asked again.

"Someone has been at Bella's house. One of our kind." he responded.

"We are on our way." Emmett said, closing the phone and pulling me out of the house. Jasper was hot on our heels as we climbed into his Jeep. We barely had the doors shut before Emmett tore out of the garage.

"Fucking hell. I think I could use a cigarette now." I said, gabbing the packet out of my pocket. Emmett laughed roughly.

"If this day gets any worse, I might have one myself."


	16. Stalkers And Seattle

_**Author Note- Thanks to everyone who has been following this story. It is my first so I love that people are enjoying it. Just keep on reviewing and giving me your thoughts and ideas. If I like them, I will find a way to shove them in here somewhere. **_

_**For All my fellow autophiles, a good portion of my character's car collection can be seen via the link in my profile. More will be added when I find the right pictures for them. I have to admit, the girl has good taste... =P  
**_

_**Thanks to Content1 for everything. You, my dear, rock. [/discussion]**_

_**Thanks to Bella C'ella Luna for all of her help too. You also rock**_

_**

* * *

**_

Chapter 16

**_Stalkers and Seattle_**

_Stop, stop, staring at my window_  
_ Nobody's home_  
_ I think you're scaring me to death_  
_ Knock, knock, knocking on my bedroom wall and I'm gone_  
_ You're such a beautiful stalker, beautiful stalker_

_**Sugarcult - Beautiful Stalker**  
_

We abandoned the car after about five minutes. It wasn't fast enough for us. We parked about about ten minutes away from Bella's house and ran for the woods. Once we were under the jade canopy, we began to sprint. I followed behind Jasper and Emmett at our top and quite formidable speed. We didn't talk, we barely even thought as we ran to Bella and Edward. Skidding to a halt at the edge of the trees behind Bella's house, her ridiculously appealing scent hit me like a brick wall and I instinctively forced my lungs to freeze and covered my mouth until I got myself under control.

"You alright, Kali?" Jasper asked through clenched teeth. That one I didn't understand. He was around Bella constantly so her scent should be less effective on him. That being said, I had just spent forty-eight hours in her presence and I still got smacked with her scent like it was a speeding car. It took me a couple of seconds to drag myself back to civility. Once I was sure I was back under control, I allowed myself to take a small, experimental sniff at the air. Wolf, Bella, Edward, Charlie and a fifth unfamiliar scent. Definitely vampire but I didn't recognise it.

"Do you know that scent?" Emmett asked. Myself and Jasper just shook our heads and made for Bella's house. As we entered, Edward was seated in a wooden chair next to the shabby kitchen table in Charlie Swan's kitchen. Bella was seated in his lap and looking, quite rightfully, nauseous.

"Thanks for coming," Edward said softly, rubbing small circles into his mate's back.

"Like that was even a question," i quipped, rolling my eyes. "Where is the scent strongest?"

"Bella's bedroom." My teeth gritted. I did NOT like that one bit. My eyes narrowed as I nodded to Edward and pulled Jasper towards Bella's room.  
I opened the door of Bella's bedroom and got hit with a wall of her scent. Venom surged in my mouth and I swallowed hard to clear it. Her scent was overpowering in this room. It lingered on every surface and in every fibre of fabric.

_"Edward,"_ I thought once I was able to focus._ "How the fuck do you do this?"_

_"With difficulty, remember?"_ he replied silently.

_"I'm going to buy you a medal the size of a dinner plate, man. You earned it."_

_"Hardly,"_

"Kali, why are you grinning like an idiot?" Jasper asked, picking up on my amused mood.

"Our brother is funny," I informed him. "Well, back to the matter at hand... Do you recognise this scent?"

I scanned the room quickly, memorising every detail. To see the fantastic human's inner sanctum was a treat for me. It gave me more of an incite into who she was as a person. Her disorganized bed with the huge pile of classical books next to it on the floor. I noted that several of the titles present were also some of my favourites. I would have to talk to her about them. The row of '**Non-Alice- Approved'** shoes along the foot of her bed made me smile. I was sure that my pixie of a sister had tried to convince her to get rid of them on more than one occasion. Her computer desk was placed against the far wall and held what could only be described as a dinosaur of a PC. The wall behind it was covered with pictures of her family and friends. I noted that Charlie and her school friends were all here. A human woman with a warm, kind face and light brown hair was here, hugging Bella around the shoulders and I assumed it was her mother, Renee. I also noted that she had pictures of Jacob and the La Push wolf-pack on her wall, as well. She looked like she did in Jacob's memories in these ones. Not quite whole and a little heartbroken. My heart clenched a little when I scanned those photographs.

It immediately unclenched when I saw the mass of pictures that held the Cullens. Every member of the family had a representation here and I was more than shocked that I was present on the wall, my arms slung around Bella and Carlisle's shoulders as Alice forced us to pose for 'picture time'. I felt a little surge of love for Bella as I took in her family picture wall. She truly was magnificent. Jasper and I scanned the room one more time before we left, closing the door behind us.

"I'm sorry, man. I don't recognise it," I said to Edward. Jasper was displaying the disappointment on his face for both of us. Edward looked more pissed off than he did when we arrived. I knew he was hoping we would have some idea as to who it was, but we came up with nothing.

"I suggest that we follow the scent," Jasper said "It will be old now, be we will at least have an idea of where they were headed."

"Let's go hunt the little shit then!" Emmett crowed from the chair opposite Edward and Bella. The boy was so ready for a fight... I felt like hitting him in the face.

"If you enjoy having your arms attached to your body, Emmett, you better not let Esme hear you talk like that" Bella said, speaking for the first time since we had arrived.

"Edward, take Bella to the house," I said, grabbing Emmett by the wrist and pulling him towards the door. "The family will keep her safe and we will go and see if we can find whoever was here. We might get a lead." Edward nodded, pulling himself and Bella vertical and was out the door and in her truck a lot quicker than I would have expected. I think he just kept Bella off the ground so he could move them faster.

"Well, Kali, let's hunt the bastards!" Emmett boomed as we exited the house. Myself and Jasper nodded our agreement and took off like a bullet into the woods, following the scent of Bella's intruder.

* * *

"Edward ain't gonna be happy." Emmett said dully as we ran back towards the house.

"I know," I agreed glumly. We were just outside the house now. Rosalie was waiting by the glass wall for our return. As soon as she spotted Emmett, she beamed a smile that would have made cherubs look like grotesques. She bolted out the back door and for the lack of a better word, 'assaulted' Emmett with kisses. Jasper and I quickly sidestepped them and headed inside, pushing a joint wave of calm until it filled every inch of the house. Arriving in the living room, we were met with a room full of statues. The room was silent except for the breathing and heartbeat issuing from the terrified human on the sofa next to Edward.

"I'm sorry, Edward," I began "The trail went cold. We chased them east and then south until we hit the dirt road just off the highway and it vanished at the side of the road. They must have had a car waiting on them." Edward's eyes dulled with disappointment.

"Long gone, hours ago," Emmett said in earnest. You could always trust Emmett to get to the bones of a situation. "None of us recognised the scent."

I could tell that Emmett being unable to recognise the scent wasn't a problem for Edward. Emmett had rarely been in contact with others of our kind that Carlisle or he didn't know and like. Jasper not knowing was a problem due to the sheer number of vampires he had come across during his lifetime. The fact that I didn't know, flat-out, terrified him. I knew a great number of vampires, old and new and I was able to discern a single scent from thousands of others... but I was coming up blank. It meant that we had no idea who this person was or what they wanted.

_"She has encountered hundreds, thousands of our kind. If she doesn't know, how do I keep my Bella safe?"_ Edward thoughts were slightly panicked.

_"Stop it!" _I thought loudly, causing Edward's head to snap to my general area, _"We will find out who did this and we will make them understand what they did and then I will personally turn them into a fucking jigsaw. I promise."_ I told him silently.I passed Carlisle the broken fern frond that was carrying the stranger's scent.

"Do you recognise it?" Jasper asked. Carlisle sniffed the fern once and looked at the floor in disappointment, shaking his head. Well, shit. None of us knew them and none of us saw them coming or leaving. A thought then occurred to me... one of us _should_ have seen them coming.

"Alice," I began, rounding on the tiny form that was standing defiantly in the middle of the room. "What the hell? Why didn't you see this? He was in her room! He could have been there waiting for her. Charlie was in the house," I ignored Bella's muffled yelp as Alice's eyes flashed angrily.

"There was **_nothing_** to see! Nothing happened, no-one was hurt and nothing was ever going to happen or I would know and I would appreciate it if everyone would just back off!" Her verbal volley had my complete attention and I felt guilty as all hell when she had finished. It never occurred to me that the rest of the family would have already went with this line of questioning and I had been the biggest arsehole in the planet for revisiting it with as much gentility as a drunken frat boy.

"I'm sorry, Alice," I said, moving to hold her hand. "I should have been a little more tactful." She gave my hand a squeeze.

"It's alright, I'm not happy about it either."She let go of my hand and began to rub small, slow circles into her temples, willing something, anything to come to her.

"Well, if Jazz, Carlisle and I don't know the scent, I think it is safe to say that they are new. What are the possibilities?" I asked, sitting on the chair next to the sofa. "Victoria?"

"Wasn't her scent," Jasper stated simply. "The Volturi?" I shivered at the mere thought.

"If it was, it wasn't a scent that I recognised from them." Carlisle confirmed, pinching the bridge of his nose in concentration. I recognised that posture from his son and had to suppress a giggle. It was _not_ the right time for giggle-fits.

"I didn't recognise it either." I muttered. This was disappointing. Alice just shook her little head in disagreement.

Her head was still shaking as she spoke. "Aro hasn't sent anyone to look for her yet. I'm still waiting for that one and I WILL see it."

Edward's eyes snapped to his sister. "You are waiting on an official command?"  
"You think someone's acting on their own?"

"Caius' idea." Edward's eyes tightened at the sound of the name and I could feel mines doing the same. In the short time I was in Volterra, I never found myself taking such a dislike to an immortal than the one I took with Caius, the Volturi Elder. I hated his guts for no good reason. he just seemed like one right royal nasty bastard to me. And by the sounds of it, I wasn't too far off the mark.

"Or Jane's..." Alice said "Both have the resources to send an unfamiliar face."

"It doesn't make sense though," Esme said quietly. "If whoever was meant to wait for Bella, Alice would have seen that. He- or she- had no intention of hurting Bella. Or Charlie for that matter."

"What was the point then?" Carlisle asked.

"Hold on," I said, holding up a hand to stop the flow of conversation. "Maybe I am being a bit slow here, but why would anyone in Volterra be coming here for Bella?"

"To check if I am still human." Bella said, speaking for the first time. I remembered Alice's rundown of all the happenings since Bella came to Forks. It made sense, considering the edict that was placed upon her.

"It's too bad we didn't catch them," Emmett said. "We could have taken care of them." As much as I agreed with the sentiment, I felt the most incredible urge to hit him again. I had to lock my muscles in place to stop me smacking him upside the back of the head. He had no idea what he was asking for. He had no clue what it took to kill another of our kind. The toll it took on one's mind was excruciating and the emotions attached to such an act are painful. Very painful. I vocalised my frustration with him with a simple "_Shut the hell up_."

"Perhaps we are looking at this the wrong way. Maybe it's just a coincidence..." I now felt like hitting Esme. I shot her a very obvious _'Are you fucking kidding me?'_ look. I had noticed several other similar glances aimed in her direction. "I don't mean a coincidence that the stranger happened to pick Bella's house to visit at random," she added quickly in her own defense. "I meant that maybe someone was just curious. Our scents are all around her. Was he wondering what draws us there?"

"Why wouldn't he just come here, then? If he was just curious?" Emmett demanded.

"This is a big family, Emmett," She said, trying to make him understand "They might be frightened. Charlie wasn't harmed though. There is no reason to believe that this is an enemy."

Bella's face blanched at the sound of her fathers name. I moved to sit next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder for support. She was shaking with fright, or my body temperature, it wasn't clear. The whole room fell silent as they pondered Esme's theory. I didn't like it. Well, I liked it, but I knew there was no hope in hell of it being right. We just weren't that luck. Out of all of us, it was Alice that voiced her apprehension first.

"I don't think so, Esme. The timing was too perfect. The visitor knew that i would see..."

Bella finally snapped. "Does it really matter who it was?" She demanded, her tiny hands balling into harmless fists. "Just the chance that someone was looking for me... isn't that reason enough? We shouldn't wait for graduation!"

I focused on Edward, _"Why is graduation so important?"_ I thought.

"It is when Bella is due to be changed by Carlisle." He murmured, low enough that Bella wouldn't hear but loud enough that every vampire in the room was now looking at us. Graduation was too soon for that. I had no doubt that Bella would be, at some point, like us, but graduation was only weeks away and it wasn't enough time for her to get everything together. To say goodbye to her family and friends to begin to get physically and mentally prepared for the single most painful experience of her soon to be prolonged existence. Turning her early was _not_ a good idea.

"Think of Charlie," Carlisle said, clearly on the same wavelength as me. "Think of how it would hurt him if you just disappeared." I assumed that comment was perfectly reasonable. I had only met the man twice, but I was very fond of him. I didn't need Edward's gift to know how much he doted on his daughter. The man said very little, but the love he held for his child seeped out of him constantly. It would destroy him if he lost her with no explanation.

"I am thinking of him!" she exclaimed "What if my little guest had been thirsty, last night? If anything happens to him, it will be my fault!" She shuddered at the thought. "You should change me now. I could protect him."

"I don't think so, Bella." I said quickly, causing the angry eyes of the human to flash to me, glaring. "If you were to be changed now, Bella, it would hurt him a lot more than anything one of our kind could do to him. _**You**_ would put him in danger. You wouldn't be able to control your urges and instincts. We will protect him. I am sure you would prefer to be changed after we sort all this mess out."

"No."

"Nothing will happen to Charlie, I promise." I took her hand in mine, rubbing the back of hers with my thumb. Her gaze was trained on the floor, clearly still incensed. I hooked a finger on my free hand under her chin. "Bella, I promise you, I will not allow anything to happen to your father." I held her face until she, grudgingly nodded. Edward physically relaxed by her side, his shoulders slouching and his jaw unclenched.

"We will just have to be more careful," Esme stated, patting Bella on the back in a very motherly fashion.

"More careful?" Bella replied, shocked at the possibility.

"It's all going to be fine, Bella." Alice promised. I wasn't so sure of that. I was positive that we could protect Charlie. I would take up permanent post outside the house if I had to. The problem was, that too many bad things happened all at once and it had me a little spooked. Victoria coming after Bella, the intruder in her house and the possible vampires running rough-shot all over Seattle... it was too much and although we were a strong coven, something would eventually give. I was sure I was missing a link somewhere, but my usually fast processing power wasn't giving me the connection that I was clearly missing. It wouldn't give up the answers that I needed. That we _all_ needed.

Edward took Bella home shortly after that. I wasn't sure that was the best place for her, all things considered, but my suggestion to keep her here, under possible lock and key, was vetoed on the grounds that it would attract attention if Bella didn't arrive home when she said she would. I did, however, suggest patrolling her house every night, making sure that nothing that could hurt her even got close. Thankfully, that one was agreed upon and Alice was currently on the computer with everyone's schedules working out a shift rota.

By the looks of things, Myself and Carlisle were on first when he finished his shift at the hospital tonight, which meant that I unfortunately had some homework to do on a Saturday...I was a six hundred year old nerd. I dragged my books out of my bag and settled in at the dining room table again. It would only take about twenty minutes to do the English essay and the calculus problems. Then I had about five hours all to myself, during which I fully intended to badger Emmett into setting up my new consoles in my room, further adding to my 'nerd' status. One essay down, I was disturbed by the familiar rumbling of a semi-truck up the driveway. Good god, what had Edward done now? I turned to Alice, puzzled and she gave the a knowing look and moved towards the front door. The truck came rumbling to a stop at the front door just as I stood next to Alice who had the most ridiculous look on her face. A nondescript man, rather similar to the last delivery guy, jumped out of the truck's cab and pulled a clipboard from the seat next to him.

"I'm Eddie, I'm looking for Edward Cullen?" He said, flipping through sheets on his board.

"He isn't in at the moment, I am his sister though. Can I help you?" Alice said, drawing the man's attention. I watched with mild repulsion as the eyes of Eddie raked themselves up and down my sister's diminutive form. Theory confirmed. Human men _were_ pigs. "I got a motorbike to deliver here for Edward Cullen. It was special ordered during the night."

"I'll sign for it," I said, ignoring the man's lecherous gazes which, unfortunately shifted towards me when I spoke.

"And who are you?"

"I'm his other sister."

"Oh." He offered me the clipboard to sign and moved to the side of the truck to start unstrapping the very impressive silver bike. A quick glance at the paperwork showed me that my darling little brother had, not last night, purchased himself a Ducati Streetfighter S in an astonishing silver colour. It was stunning. Eddie, the delivery man, lowered the bike to the ground, kicking the stand out and leaning the bike onto it before moving back to the cab of the truck.

"Crap, I need you to sign for this too..." He said, placing a rather bulky box on the ground next to the bike. I offered him his first clipboard and took the second, brushing my hand accidentally against his, causing him to shudder. I smiled to myself at his discomfort as I signed the second set of papers. I slid a couple of bank notes under the clip on the board and handed it back to him. humans liked money.

"Well, that's everything. Thank you very much, ladies." he chimed, slipping the wad of notes into his back pocket as he climbed into the truck. He had the engine started and was off down the driveway less than a minute later. I rounded on Alice, who immediately held her hands up in surrender.

"You knew about this?"

"Yeah."

"If he keeps buying vehicles, he is going to end up needing a garage all to himself." I muttered, kicking the bike-stand and shoving it towards the already slightly overstuffed garage. Alice grabbed the big square box and followed me out.

"In his defense," Alice said. "The last one was for me."

"Next time, get it delivered to my house. I have the space for it." Alice simply nodded at my suggestion, placing the box on the floor in between my Lamborghini and Emmett's Jeep. I parked the bike in front of the box and made to go back to the house. On the way back out, I saw Bella's motorcycle tucked in behind my Golf and realisation hit me.

"Oh, I get it now," I said to no-one in particular. "He wants to ride with Bella."

Alice nodded as she leaned over the back of the bike. As she opened it, the scent of Leather broke around the garage. Holding up a riding jacket and helmet, she made me confused again.

"Edward wouldn't use those. He is indestructible,so he wouldn't need... they are for Bella, aren't they?" I asked, eying the garments that would have been too small to fit across my brother's broad shoulders. Alice nodded again as she placed the offending items back into his box.

"I'll text him and let him know it is here." Alice offered.

"I have homework to finish or I would take it out for a spin. I have the standard Streetfighter. The 'S' class is supposed to be fantastic."

"Maybe he will let you borrow it," Alice muttered.

"Probably not, honey. Not if Bella insists on riding _that_ a lot," I stated, pointing at the red, cobbled together bike that Bella owned. "He will practically live on the damn thing." I moved towards the door again. "You know what, sod it. Homework can wait, I think I will challenge Jasper to a a game on the computer." I mused once I was outside.

"Anything but Halo." Alice said cryptically.

"Thanks?" I said, confused but more than willing to take that advice. I walked into the main house and straight up to Jasper. He had been sitting reading another war story when I lowered myself to his level, moving so that I was less that six inches from his face.

"Jasper? You. Me. Xbox. Now." I threw down a gauntlet and he knew it.

"Halo?" He asked.

"Alice told me not to. Anything but Halo." I quoted his love.

"Come on..." "Not a chance empath. I know how good you are and I will not have my ass kicked because I don't know what I am doing."

"I'll show you," He offered.

"I am sure you would. Pick something else."

"Fine." He almost pouted as he stood up and headed for the living room, preparing, I assume, for me to get my ass kicked. We ended up playing the game I had got earlier in the day. The one with the guitar shaped controller. As it happens, It was actually fun. I was a guitar player myself and although the two practices were nothing alike, I could see why people would enjoy playing this game. The first two attempts on my part were just shameful. Thankfully, after a little instruction and half a dozen more attempts, we were both playing the game on it's highest level and Jasper and I were singing like a pair of drunken fools. I was particularly fond of his rendition of 'Barracuda'. I hadn't seen him smile like that for a while and the contentedness he was feeling, was seeping out of him and I was feeling it too. It was most pleasant. That being said, for this to be such an obvious change in his demeanor, he would have been uptight and uncomfortable for weeks. Something was bothering him.

I was worried about what it might be for the grand total of seven seconds before he called me on it. "Why are you worried?" He asked.

"I just realised that something has been bothering you for a while. I was worried about you,"

"About me?"

"Yes." I rolled my eyes. "I am allowed to worry about my family. What has you worried?"

"The news."

"Care to elaborate?" I asked, looking into his eyes, fighting the urge to look into his mind instead.

"The story in Seattle has me worried." He clarified. With that statement he had my full attention again.

"What about it?"

"I've seen a pattern like this before,"

"When?" I knew something had been off about the whole Seattle story for a while, but I couldn't place it. If he had some sort of idea, it would help.

"I was created during the Southern wars, Kali," he said.

"Oh, shit..." I knew what that meant. His beginnings in this life were a lot different from that of his siblings.

"I used to see this kind of thing all the time- at the height of the violence."

"You mean, when people were creating newborns..."

"Yes, it got really bad and the Volturi stepped in and eradicated all the newborns in the area for a while. Although they haven't stepped in yet, I would have sworn that what is going on now in Seattle was exactly the same thing... only the Volturi haven't taken care of it yet."

"You think that someone has created a newborn army of vampires in Seattle, thousands of miles away from the nearest vampire army." Saying it out loud set my bones to a rough chill. I shuddered at the mere thought of what that would entail. I was well aware of just how vicious and violent newborns were and if there was an army of them so close, Bella would _not_ be safe... none of us would be.

"What do we do?" I asked.

"We have to talk to the others about it." He replied, staring out of the window.

"Let's wait until tomorrow everyone is here." I suggested, placing a hand on Jasper's shoulder. He nodded again, still staring into space.

"Don't worry, Jazz. We will figure it out and take care of it." I promised. The only snag was, I didn't have a clue just how I was going to fix it.

* * *

_**Author Note- Thanks for hanging in there with me. I really appreciate if you love it and review if you hate it. **_

_**Stories to check out. **_

_**Harvest Moon - Content1**_

_**Unwanted, Unloved - Content1**_

_**January - Owenic**_


	17. En Guarde

_**Author Note - Thanks for everyone who has read this so far. Not as many reviews as I would like, but hey, can't win them all.I would say though, that if you loved it or hated it or didn't have a strong emotion towards it at all, let me know so that I can improve the story for everyone.**_

_**Thanks to Content1- Wouldn't have got this far without your help and support and your ability to understand British language quirks.**_

_**This chapter will see us take Bella to a bonfire, freak out when she is late getting back, play security guard at her house and pick a fight with a werewolf. **_

_**Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I am just na****ïve enough to think I can play with it. **_

_**Team Major Whitlock ftw! Empaths rock!  
**_

_**Enjoy.  
**_

_**

* * *

**_

Chapter 17

En Guarde!

"Bella's future just disappeared." Alice hissed into her phone.

_"It's okay, I know where she is and I know where she is going, Alice_," Edward was on the phone, trying to reason with a rather panicked Alice. As soon as her sight vanished, she was on the phone demanding an explanation. _"Jacob is in the house, testing the stranger's scent and seeing if it is familiar. If the pack has come across it recently, it might help."_

"Just keep the mutt away from my little sister," She growled before snapping her phone shut and throwing it onto the sofa.

"What's the problem, Ossifer?" I asked lightly. I had been up the stairs getting changed when Alice began dialling Edward's number.

"Edward invited the wolf to Bella's house to see if it recognised the scent in Bella's bedroom," My happy-go-lucky attitude vanished and I was suddenly growling myself. This was our problem and we did _not_ need the wolves to interfere.

"Is he fucking nuts?"

"Kali..."

"Sorry, Esme. But really? what the hell is he thinking?"

"It might help." Alice said quietly. Her anger was slightly better contained than mines was at that point.

"Bella is our responsibility, not theirs!"

"Kali, the pack care for Bella and want to help her. If it catches whoever is responsible, that can only be a good thing."

"I don't like it, Alice,"

"What choice do we have?"

"We find the intruder first," I said. Alice poked me in the ribs and giggled.

We waited for Bella and Edward to come back to the house to pick up the Volvo. We had, by Alice's reckoning about an hour before they arrived so she deemed it to be 'free time' and used three quarters of it trying to convince me that having a party for graduation was a good idea. I, personally, could think of nothing worse. Unfortunately, Alice lacked the moral compass that would tell her when to back down and behave when it came to such things. The thing was, if the evil little elf had designs in place for a party, I would be attending one, regardless of personal choice. She was downright devious at times.

We were still mid-argument when we heard the familiar rumble of Bella's rust bucket of a truck groaning it's way up the driveway. I had offered her one of my cars. I had a nice convertible Audi TT she was more than welcome to - It would have suited her perfectly. It was fast, quiet and more than a reasonable replacement for the dinosaur she was currently dragging herself around in, but she wasn't having it. She, for reasons that eluded me, loved that heap or corroding metal. The only hope that we had of getting her out of it was that it died a natural death, but seeing as the bloody thing was well past it's sell-by date, I think we were waiting on an apocalypse to take 'The Thing' down. I stood up to go and meet them in the garage when they arrived, but Alice grabbed my wrist, dragging me back down onto my arse.

"What the hell, Alice?"

"Just hold on a second," She said, still holding onto my wrist. I huffed my frustration and focused on Edward.

_"I'll explain in a minute."_ was his silent thought. I huffed again. I hated being out of the bloody loop.

"What is _that_?" Bella asked. Her voice made no attempt to hide the horror of what she had seen. I saw from Edward's thoughts that she had spotted the bike. The gorgeous Ducati Streetfighter S in metallic silver.

"It's nothing." Edward said. I could see in the reflection of Bella's eyes that he looked thoroughly abashed.

"It doesn't _LOOK_ like nothing, Edward." I watched the reflection as he gathered a carefully put together aura of nonchalance.

"Well, I didn't know if you were going to forgive your friend, or he you, and I wondered if you would still want to ride your bike anyway. It sounded like something you enjoyed." He shrugged his shoulders in a very blasé way.

"I wouldn't be able to keep up with you..." Bella whispered. I had a funny feeling that wasn't the problem.

"I'd keep pace with you, love,"

"That wouldn't be very fun for you,"

"Of course it would, if we were together." He reasoned.

"Edward, if you thought I was going to fast, or thought I was going to crash, what would you do?" I was barely able to count to three in my head before I heard the forty different ways that Edward would save bella in a sitation similar to what she had desrcibed. He did not, however, vocalise these scenarios and his silence spoke volumes. Edward's eyes tightened around the edges as he forced a reasonably believable smile.

"This is something you do with Jacob. I see that now."

"It's just that, well, I don't slow him down so much, you know. I could try, I guess..." Bella said defensively.

"Let it go, Edward." Alice and I said in unison.

"Don't worry about it, love. I saw Jasper admiring it." He quipped, "Perhaps it is time for him to discover a new means of travel. Alice has her porsche now, after all..."

"Edward, I-" Bella began before getting cut off.

"I said don't worry about it, love. But could you do something for me?"

"Whatever you need," Bella responded just a little too quickly. I watched his thoughts as he angled his body behind the Ducati and retrieved the jacket and Helmet that Alice had stashed there. I watched as Bella registered the shape of the helmet while Edward slung the jacket over his arm. I watched as Edward went into full-blown 'dazzle' mode, causing Bella's heart-rate to stutter as she reached for the helmet that Edward held out for her.

"I will look stupid..." Bella griped, turning the red headgear over in her head.

_"This girl will be the death of me..." _Edward thought as his eyes rolled around the room before landing back on his other half.

"Bella, you will look smart," He placed both hands on either side of her face so she would look at him and pay attention. She really should pay attention. The boy wasn't known for his bullshit. "Smart enough not to get yourself hurt. There are things between my hands right now that I can't live with out. You could help me look after them,"

"Pulled out the big guns there, did he not?" I asked Alice who looked like she was going to start gushing all over the place. Bella's resolve would not last long under the weight of Edward's persuasion. The man should be a politician with his ability to pull that shit.

_"I am slightly more trustworthy than the politicians, Kals,"_ He thought as he continued to watch Bella give over to the 'Dazzle Effect'. I suppressed a giggle when Bella's resistance fell away completely.

"Okay, fine," She muttered. "What's the other thing?" She asked, suspiciously eying the lump of leather draped over Edward's arm. He held it out for her to inspect.

As he shook it out, his mind was suddenly a cesspool that even Mike Newton would have considered indecent. Images of Bella in the leather jacket rolled around his mind. In one of the images, she has an accompanying pair of leather trousers and some biker boots. Her hair was tousled and a little bit wild and the image drove the monster in his head half crazy with want and longing.

_"Sweet Jesus!"_ I exclaimed, turning towards Alice. "Who would have guessed? Our Edward is a leather man." I managed to get the sentence out before dissolving into a bout of giggles. I heard Edward zip Bella into her new jacket and place the crash helmet onto her her. She sighed as he took a step back to admire the view. More fantasies of Bella in leather, this time, the outfits were smaller, more revealing. His self-control would have been compromised beyond all repair. The idea set off a new round of guffaws.

"Be honest," Bella squeaked. "How hideous do I look?"

"No, not bad, Bella. Actually you look..." He was at a loss for words. Well, not really a loss for words. Just a loss for words that a gentleman would use. Some of the ideas he had were extended a little bit further than his usual polite and female-friendly vocabulary. "You look ...sexy."

I had to stifle laughter again. He was embarrassed at having to use such a word but he truly came up blank when looking for a more appropriate one. Alice was on the floor now and clutching her sides laughing. I wasn't too far away from joining her. I silently vowed to buy Bella several leather outfits for after she was changed. He was definitely a leather man.

"Kals, you can buy them if you like but they won't last long on her." Alice was breathless as she informed me of what exactly would happen to the outfits. Scraps of leather were scattered in a trail that led to a closed door in her mind. I let out a loud _**'HA HA'**_ before leaning forward, wrapping my arms around my stomach in an effort to stave off the laughter. We had been too distracted to notice that Edward and Bella had left the garage and were now standing on the opposite side of the living room, looking at us like we needed straight jackets. My ability to focus on anyone's mind was long gone so I could only imagine what was rattling about Edward's head now.

"Good afternoon, guys..." Bella announced herself properly. I managed to sober up enough to be polite.

"Hey Bells, how's it going?"

"Yeah, good thanks."

"What you kids up to tonight?"

"Oh, I..um... I'm going to La Push," She said in a small voice. "They are having a bonfire and Jacob invited me and Edward said he would take me and pick me up and-"

"Bella, breathe." I said softly, masking my complete and utter horror of what she had planned. Edward was in BIG trouble. His head snapped to me when he heard that thought. _"Yeah, you heard me. BIG FUCKING TROUBLE!"_ I thought loudly, causing him to flinch slightly. "Sound's like fun, Bella." I said, forcing a genuine enough smile onto my face.

"Edward is taking me to the boundary line in five minutes. I just have to call Jake," She said, flitting to the kitchen.

"Well, this is gonna get interesting..." I muttered, throwing daggers at a, rightfully abashed, Edward.

* * *

I looked at the clock again. "If anything has happened to her, I swear to God, I will rip that wolf's goddamn throat out and dance in his stinking blood!" I growled. "Then I will dismantle you!" I bellowed to Edward.

It was just after eleven pm. Bella should have phoned hours ago and I was pacing the floor in the living room, slowly but surely wearing a path into the carpet. I knew Edward was doing the same thing outside, next to the Volvo. Alice was sitting on the sofa again, fingers pressed so hard to her temples that she was bound to leave indentations, searching for Bella's return.

"Oh, fuck this! I'm waiting outside!" I stormed out of the house and went to walk over to Edward. The look of agitation and pain on his face made my own worry intensify. Not just for Bella, but for his sanity.

"She will be fine," He said quietly. I wasn't too sure who he was trying to convince exactly.

"If she doesn't call in the next fifteen minutes, I'll call Charlie to go and get her." The words were barely out of my mouth when we heard the tiny electrical circuits in Edward's phone start click and fire. His hand was shoved into his pocket and the phone to his ear before the first ring even sounded.

"Bella?" My whole body froze.

_"It's Jacob,"_ said the rough voice on the other end of the phone. An involuntary hiss broke through my teeth, splitting the still, night air.

"Is Bella alright?" Edward demanded, climbing into the Volvo as he spoke. I wasted no time. I opened the passenger-side door and hopped in.

_"She's fine."_ Jacob retorted. His tone suggesting annoyance but all I heard was arrogance. God, I hated that fucking dog. _"She fell asleep at the bonfire."_

"Are you heading to the treaty line now?" The keys were in the ignition of the car and it was shooting off before I even shut the door. The engine thrummed loudly as Edward pushed the accelerator down.

"_I just got her into the car, we are leaving now,"_

"I will meet you there. Same place as before." Edward snapped the phone shut and threw it over his shoulder into the backseat. "She's fine," he breathed with relief. His head turned to me and was almost surprised to see me.

"I'm going to make sure that you are okay," I explained. "Besides, it's late and I was bored."

"You cared about me and Bella." He stated.

"I'm already convinced I have lost my mind, Edward. Don't provide me with the proof of it." I quipped, ducking as he tried to muss my hair. "Knock it off! Can you focus on the road please?"

"Thank you for coming all the same." He said, patting my shoulder.

"I'll ride with you to the boundary and run back. Carlisle will be home by twelve so we will leave after that and go to Bella's house. Me and him got the night shift tonight."

"Thanks."

"Stop it. If we didn't want to, we wouldn't."

"We just have to get whoever did it. They are carrying her scent so we should-"

"They have her what, now?" I said, glaring at him.

"Bella's red shirt and pillowcase and some other things."

"Shit..." I muttered.

"I panicked earlier. I didn't have a chance to say."

"We will work it out, Edward." I assured him, touching the hand that he had clamped to my shoulder now. I hadn't realised how close to the border we had gotten until the stench of wolf hit me. I scrunched my nose as the Volvo rolled to a stop.

"God, it stinks," I complained, rubbing my nose in discomfort. I opened the car door and stepped out as the sound of a rough, stuttering engine broke the through the night. A rusty Red Volkswagen Rabbit rumbled into view, about a mile down the road. "You get her home and keep her safe. I will see you in an hour." I said as I closed the door. I had no desire to be around the mutt. I didn't have that kind of patience. I needed to get home and change.

"Thanks again, Kals,"

"Any time, brother. Any time." I winked at bolted into the woods to begin my first shift in my new job. Bodyguard.

* * *

"Ready to go, Carlisle?" I called as I strapped myself into my running boots. He had gone upstairs ten minutes ago. Alice had provided us both with an outfit for our security detail and demanded that they be worn. I personally thought that I would look like a bank robber from a 1900's silent movie in my black leggings, black jumper and black jacket. I was half convinced she would pull out an eye-mask and a swag bag when she presented the ensemble to me. I dumped half of it. The jumper was fine. and I swapped out the jacket for my purple leather one and the leggings for some dark khaki combats. Alice told me that I _'Looked like a freakin' boy'_.

"Just a second," Carlisle breathed in a rather rough voice and I immediately put a fist into my mouth to prevent the laughter escaped. Emmett and Jasper, however, weren't quite so gracious. The roar of their laughter shook the windows and doors, prompting a rather flustered Carlisle to come down the stairs with one sock and shoe on, a shirt unbuttoned, and a hand running through his uncharacteristically messy hair.

"Jesus, really? Couldn't that have waited?" I asked, shoving my hands onto my hips in frustration.

"Didn't have a choice, really..." He said and I could only imagine what he meant by that. "Will you boys try and calm down?" He asked, causing the giggle twins to laugh so much harder. I ghosted over to them both and grabbed a hold of each of their ears. They squeaked as I pulled and twisted.

"If you two don't can it, I will tear these off and bury them under the river. Behave yourselves. It is just sex." I said, leaning down so that they could stare into my face. I heard Carlisle shift uncomfortably as he made himself a little more decent, causing the boys to laugh harder. I twisted their ears just a little further, causing Emmett to yelp and Jasper to hiss.

_"Leave it be."_ I warned as I released them.

"You are a dangerous woman, sis," Emmett said as rubbed the side of his head and pouted.

"You have no idea, Emmett." I threatened with a smirk. "Besides, it's not really Carlisle's fault. Well, not all of it. Esme is also to blame. Aren't you, mother?" I called. Emmett and Jazz buckled again, clutching each other for support against the spasms of laughter.

"It's allowed." Esme said, refusing to come down the stairs.

"Quite right, Esme." I said before turning to her conquest. "You ready to go now? We are going to be late..."

"Let's go before I get into trouble." Carlisle said, making for the door and grabbing his car keys.

"Oh no, I don't think so. You drive like a bloody maniac. I'm driving." I said, grabbing the keys to the Mazda and rocketing out of the door and to the garage.

"My driving is perfectly fine," he said, pouting uncharacteristically. "I hear yours is worse." He climbed into the car and buckled his seat belt. I rolled my eyes and I put the car into reverse, swinging the front end out in a 'J-Turn' before flooring it down the driveway.

"My driving is just nifty, thanks." I commented as we hit the highway and I let the car hit 120mph, heading for Bella's house.

We got there at around 12:30am and I could smell that Bella and Edward were inside and in her bedroom. There was also a wolf nearby.

"Just keep the hell out of the way, dog." I muttered. A low grumble was the response from nowhere in particular. I gave a little growl myself before I focused on Edward and moved towards the house, just below Bella's window.

"Edward," I thought "myself and Carlisle are here now."

"I heard," He thought back. "You picking fights with wolves?"

"Don't be jealous, Edward. There are loads of them to play with."

"Thanks for coming." His thoughts were fervent and completely unnecessary "Yes they are necessary."

"Quit it. Apart from the one, very smelly wolf, there is nothing out here. We will run circles around and keep an eye out. I'll let you know if I can see anything."

"Thanks again." He thought, before I saw him squeeze Bella a little closer to him. His thoughts now were nothing but pure, unadulterated, end of the world, heartbreaking love. The love of a mate. It caused a little lump to catch in my throat. I had to admit to myself, I was a little jealous.

"Are you alright, Kali?" Carlisle asked, placing a hand on my arm.

"I'm fine, Carlisle. I was just talking to Edward, letting him know that we are here. I caught a glimpse of his mind, that's all." I explained, still staring up at the window. "Carlisle, I have never seen a more committed mated pair than those two. It's intense. It's beautiful." Carlisle beamed at me, his hand sliding down my arm to capture my hand and give it a squeeze.

"Kali, you will find someone again." Ladies and gentlemen, the doctor is in the building, mending the word's broken hearts.

"I don't know about that, Carlisle. I had Euan before, but it was never like that." I said as I nodded towards Bella's window. "I just got a new family. I think that will be my focus for a while anyway. I'm just glad those two have each other and love each other."

"That they do."

We were silent for a few seconds before I tore my gaze from the window. "You know, seeing as we are here and Alice has provided us with what I can only describe as 'ninja' outfits, why don't we do some work?" Myself, Carlisle and Edward all chuckled quietly.

"I'll stay close to the house, Carlisle, if you want to run a little wider?" I suggested. I needed to stay within mental hearing range of Edward, just in case I needed him. Carlisle nodded once and made for the trees. I walked around the house once to judge the best route to run. When I reached the start, I began to jog at a human pace, slowly increasing my speed with each revolution. I focused on Edward's mind as I ran. I needed to hear the minds of everyone close by as they ran and I could do that better if I focused on his.

Carlisle's thoughts were a mixture of love for his mate and children and concern for their safety. I was shocked at the depths that Carlisle, the eternal pacifist, would go to in order to protect what was his. I was probably more impressed than shocked.

I could hear Edward's thoughts. He was thinking of his family and what he might be able to do to pay us all back for helping him keep Bella safe. He thought of Bella with nothing but overwhelming love and pride. He thought of the book that he was reading as he tried to pass the time. 'Wuthering Heights'. I personally hated that book. The characters were idiots who were equally sadistic and masochistic.

I could hear the wolf, who turned out to be Jacob Black. He was also patrolling the house. His thoughts were protective of Bella and inappropriately envious of the fact that she now lay in, what he considered to be, his mortal enemies arms. He loved Bella to the bottom of his soul and he was ten shades of jealous about the fact that it wasn't his arms that were wrapped around her. I could hear the other wolves in his mind, but on the whole, the pack was too loud and jumbled for me to get any kind of coherent thought from them. It was almost painful to listen to it.

_"Honestly, Kali, I struggle with it myself."_ Edward thought _"Just try to focus on other thoughts."_ His advice shocked me out of my concentration, causing me to giggle.

"Damn it, Edward!" I muttered once I had regained my focus.

_"Sorry,"_ He thought. _"Just trying to help. Anything out there?"_

"Other than Doctor Vamp and the wolf boy? No. Not a thing." It was his turn to laugh now and I could see him lifting Bella away from him gently so that his shaking form didn't wake her. "Carlisle is running further out and the wolf in in between me and him. Everything alright in there?"

"Perfect." he sighed out loud this time. I could see that even without asking the question, he was never more content than he was when he was holding Bella. _"You're right about that."_ he thought, causing me to laugh again.

"Knock it off, man. I don't need commentary for my thoughts." I giggled.

_"What the_ fuck_ is she laughing about?"_ The tone of the wolf's mind instantly set my teeth on edge and caused my hands to claw.

_"Calm down, Kali." _Edward silently urged.

_"If that MUTT doesn't watch himself, I will launch him half way to Tacoma." _My own thoughts started taking on a disturbingly murderous tinge.

_"I would gladly help you with that, but for the fact that My Bella is rather fond of him." _Edward thought ruefully.

_"That's alright, I'll buy her a puppy. She will get over it." _I quipped before giggling again at Edward's amusement. I could tell he had considered that option before.

_"If that fucking leech laughs one more time..." _**Oh fuck this!**

"You'll do what, Wolf?" I said loudly, literally spitting venom in the direction the thought came from. "Keep your mind on the job and stop being an insufferable arse hole!" The air shimmered lightly when I got to the end of my tirade.

"Watch your mouth, bloodsucker."

"Jacob, do yourself a favour, either pipe down and keep doing what you are here to do, or fuck off back to the dog pound. Unlike you, we can do this seriously. I can guard her and have a laugh. I can defend and protect without wondering about whose arms Bella lies in or how much it kills to think about it. Get your goddamn head in the game or piss off." My hands flexed open and closed in a pointless attempt to relieve some of the tension that was building.

"Fuck you!" The wolf growled.

"No thank you, I don't do inter-species. I know a nice poodle I could set you up with. Might take your mind off of Bella for more than thirty fucking seconds!"

"Kali! Enough!" Carlisle growled. Oh shit. I was in trouble now. I could feel that he was running at top speed to get to us and he would be here in less than twenty seconds.

"Busted, Kali?" Edward thought, not even trying to hide his pride and amusement.

"I know," I grumbled.

I felt the air shimmer again as Jacob phased in front of me, sending ribbons of shredded fabric in all directions. As much as I despised the little shit, to watch the phase happen, was a spectacle. Then it hit me. Carlisle was running here at full tilt and Jacob had just phased. If he laid so much as one single claw on Carlisle I would have him at a taxidermy studio first thing tomorrow fucking morning. Luckily for him, he stalked off before Carlisle arrived.

"Kali Douglas Cullen!" He yelled as he approached. He never yelled. Ever. I felt like a child getting caught pilfering sweets. "What are you playing at?"

"The wolf is having respect issues." I heard a growl in the distance.

"Does that mean that you have to have issues with it as well?" He asked, using the full power of his fatherly glare on me.

"I guess not. Sorry, Carlisle. And I apologize, Jacob." I said grudgingly, but at least attempted to make it sound sincere. I heard Edward hiss up in the room which told me that Jacob's answer was probably not that savoury. I ground my teeth together and focused on calming myself down. I focused on running after that.

I ran circles around the house for the next two hours without so much as taking a loud breath. I only slowed when the sky above the tree line went from black to that strange blue grey that you get about twenty minutes before sunrise. I shifted back down to human speed and stopped under Bella's window. _"Edward, it will be too light out here in about ten minutes. We can't run anymore."_ I thought.

He ghosted to the window, appearing like a spectre in a haunted house. "_Alright, Kali. Tell Carlisle I said thank you."_ He said silently, before turning back to the room and to Bella.

"Will do," I whispered. "Tell Bella I said good morning."

"No problem."  
I turned and called for Carlisle. He appeared about thirty seconds later, his lower half splattered with mud and twigs and general 'running through the woods on a damp night' crap on his trousers and shoes.

"Edward, if you need anything, just call the house." Carlisle said, before turning back towards the car.

"Thanks, dad." He said softly and Carlisle beamed like a lunatic. We headed for the car with was parked just down the street from Bella's house and clambered in. I looked down at my feet as I shoved the key into the ignition. After running all night, we were both filthy.

"Oh no," Carlisle gasped and I immediately began to scan for danger.

"What is it?" I breathed, opening the door and I had one foot on the road, ready to run if I had to.

"Your car is going to be a mess when we get out." Carlisle responded soberly, genuinely horrified at the idea. I broke into fits of laughter once again, pulling my leg back inside the car and closing the door.

"Carlisle, don't think or worry about it. I'll have it cleaned."

"I'll pay for it, at least."

"How much money do you think I have, Carlisle?" I asked, turning to face him.

"I have no idea..." He conceded.

"Well, just so we are clear, I have enough money to fill three warehouses full of cars and have houses dotted all over the place and still have more than enough left over to take care of Alice and her kleptomaniac approach to shopping. I think I can manage a simple valeting service for my car."

"I insist." He urged, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"I helped make the mess." I pointed to my boots and khakis. " Therefore, it is my mess to clean."

"If you won't let me pay for it, I can do it myself..." He offered, still trying to help.

"Carlisle, I love you and I mean no disrespect when I say this, but shut it." His face fell and his mouth gaped as I turned the engine over and got it into gear.

"No-one talks to me like that..." He said quietly, still trying to deal with the shock.

"Well, you don't normally earn it."

"Try not to make a habit out of it though," He said, pointing a finger in my face. I grabbed it playfully before tugging at it.

"I wouldn't dream of it..._DAD_!" I said before laughing again. I hit the accelerator and zoomed out of Bella's street to the tune of both of our laughs and giggles.

* * *

_**Recommendations - **_

_**Harvest Moon- by content1 (Winner of the Pawn Award-best use of Edward at the 2010 shimmer awards.)**_

_**January - By Owenic**_

_**Taken - By Bellalovesedward729  
**_


	18. Newborn

**_Author Note_**_**: Thanks to those who read and reviewed. You guys rock my stripey, mismatched socks off. **_

_**Special thanks to content1 for her unwavering help and patience with me. You, ma'am are a legend.**_

_**This chapter sees us discuss the possibilities of the Newborn armies. **_

_**Enjoy and see you on the other side.**_

_**Oh, and Team Jasper ftw!  
**_

* * *

Chapter 18

Newborn

"I have foreseen.." Alice said in a vaguely mystical voice. Edward's eyes rolled in his head and he went to poke her in the ribs, causing her to do a sort of half pirouette out of his way. I just laughed.

"Fine," She grumbled "Edward is making me do this. But I did foresee that you would be more difficult if I surprised you."

"You foreseen fuck all, you liar!" I laughed. The Pixie glared at me and turned back towards the target of her 'foresight'. Bella was walking in between Edward and I, with Alice dancing circles around us like a demented ballerina. We were headed in the direction of the Volvo on the way home after another tedious day as school. I vowed, never again was I doing high school. I would start at university next time. This was bullshit.

"In English, Alice?" Bella asked in a small voice.

"Don't be a baby about this. No tantrums,"

"Now I'm scared."

"So you're- I mean we're- having a graduation party. It's no big thing. Nothing to freak out about. But I saw that you _would_ freak out if I tried to make it a surprise party," Alice's attempts at easing Bella's panic were feeble at best. They were not working. "And Edward said I had to tell you. But it's nothing, I promise!"

Bella just sighed "Is there any point in arguing?"

"None. I already tried it," I grumbled. Alice shot me another pointed glare.

"Okay, Alice. I'll be there and I will hate every minute of it. I promise."

"That's the spirit! By the way, I love my gift. You shouldn't have,"

Bella turned a delicate shade of green "Alice, I didn't!"

"Oh, I know, but you will."

"How the hell is someone that small so irritating?" I asked.

"It's a talent," Alice grinned, completely unrepentant.

"Couldn't you have waited a few more weeks to tell me this?" Bella demanded. Now I was confused. If she was talking about graduation, it was only a week away.

Alice put a hand on Bella's shoulder. "Bella, what day is it?"

"Monday..."

"Yes, Monday. The fourth?" Alice spun Bella around and pointed to a huge graduation poster on the front door of the school. Bella's face fell through confusion, shock and finally settled on horror.

"It's the fourth? Of June? You sure?" Alice just shook her head, I looked at the human in confusion and Edward's eyebrows lifted almost into his hairline. "It can't be! How did that happen?" She fell silent, lost in her own thoughts. She looked slightly unsteady on her feet. I took her by the elbow and pulled her gently towards the car.

"We have to get her out of here before she falls over." I told Edward, who dashed to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for us. He helped her in, buckling her seat-belt as she stared blankly into space.

"Bells, you alright?" I asked after we were about half way home. She hadn't uttered a single bloody word since she clocked the date on the poster at school. I might as well have been talking to the steering wheel for all good it did me.

"She'll snap out of it when she gets home." Alice declared. "Now, Kals, your outfit for the party. I was-"

"_Oh piss off, Alice_! I can and will dress myself." I replied angrily.

"I know that. I was just going to say that the outfit you were considering was gorgeous. I have a couple of hair clips that would look glorious with it..." she said innocently. I turned to look at her and her devastated expression caught me off guard. Well, if I didn't just feel like the wicked witch of the west...

"I'll buy you the broom stick, Kali," Edward piped up from the drivers seat. His concentration was split almost 50-50 between the road and Bella, so he didn't even bother looking at the person his sarcasm was directed at.

"Bite me, Romeo," I spat.

"I'd leave a scar,"

"I'll add it to my collection, Edward," I countered, causing him to flash a crooked grin before it fell again._"She will be ok, Edward,"_ I added mentally. _"She has just ran out of human time. She isn't ready yet."_

"I know," he replied quietly to keep it off Bella's radard, although with the state she was in, he could have shouted it in her face for all the notice she was taking.

"Just get her home and we will deal with it later," Alice suggested. We had got to the mouth of the driveway when Alice and I jumped out of the car.

"See you later, Bella," I called, hoping to break whatever pseudo-catatonic state that appeared to be gripping her. "Bella!" I yelled, not four feet from her face.

"Huh?"

"I'll see you later?"

"M'kay,"

_"Edward,"_ I thought _"Get her home."_ He nodded once and shot off down the road again. "She ain't ready," I noted as I walked with Alice up the driveway.

"It would appear not. Her future is always solid. Her with bright red eyes and diamond hard skin. But if flickered just then. Scared the heck out of me," Alice sounded worried.

"What does that mean?"

"Well, I think we can assume that it means, and I quote, 'She Ain't Ready'"Alice giggled in spite of herself.

"She shouldn't be turned until she is completely ready. I won't allow it. It's traumatic enough without having a sword dangling over her bloody head."

Alice huffed a little in agreement. "Tell it to Bella, she won't listen to us,"

"Does she not understand what this means?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, let's see," I mused, coming to a stop at the foot of the porch steps. "Charlie is a problem. He is the chief of police and I don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that he will have every police service in the continental US looking for her when she goes missing. It will kill him and it will cripple her to know that she is hurting him. She needs to start putting distance in place so that it won't hurt as much when the break finally happens. She needs to continue and push the distance that is already in place with her mother. Not to mention the rather unreasonable and, frankly, dangerous relationship she has with the wolf.

"We all never got the chance to say goodbye to our families. Some with more extensive families than others. She will get that chance. She will be able to give them some sort of peace of mind and I don't think that the best way to do that is to just randomly jump in front of the first set of venomous teeth she can find. Honestly, I pity her. If that had been my choice to make, I woud have bottled it. I couldn't do what she is choosing to do. The strength it will take for her to finally do it will be extraordinary and I don't know if she knows just how much it will hurt to do it."

"Well, when you put it like that..." Alice said quietly.

"You didn't think about that when you all agreed on letting her become like us?"

"No, I didn't," She answered in a small voice. "But I saw her when we left. My visions of her were horrifying, Kali. It broke my heart to see her like that. I couldn't let that happen again. The whole family miss her when she isn't here. Even Rosie, though she would never admit it to anyone. This is what we all want." She finished, her voice a little stronger by the end of her soap-box moment.

"I'm not debating that this is what she wants. Honestly, my itchy, burning throat will be very grateful when she is one of us, but I wouldn't see her rush this. She is so ready to give up on her mortality so that she can stand by Edward's side and feel like his equal. She is more than his equal now and she doesn't see it. They are the most astonishing mated pair I have ever seen. It would kill them to be apart but..."

"It very nearly killed them both." Alice noted.

"Exactly. Edward was to blame for that one. Stupid moronic, trying to control everything Edward. But this one, this is all on Bella. She should have been preparing her family and friends for this for months. Now she has a week before her proposed change date and starts freaking out? Nah, she ain't ready. Something is holding her back."

"This is what she wants." Alice repeated.

"Yeah, and what would happen if we let her go ahead with it? She would still be in very real danger."

"How so?"

"Have you ever seen a newborn vampire before, Alice? She will be a complete savage. Uncontrollable, vicious, and deadly. She will be a hindrance if anything were to happen that we needed to fight. Her instincts would get her hurt and they would get Edward hurt when he tried to defend her. We have a rogue vampire running rough-shot all over Seattle, we have the Volturi just begging the family to make one little slip up and we have a crazed vampire bitch from hell on a vengeance kick, wanting her head on a plate. We can protect her better if she is human. As a newborn, she will be too wild and we can't control and protect her."

"Make's sense, I suppose." She conceded, slowly standing up off of the step we were occupying. "Never thought of it that way..."

"That's because you have never seen a newborn before."

"And you have?"

"Of course I have. I was in the south for a short time during the worst of the Vampire Wars." I stated plainly, not wishing to relive any of the atrocities I happened to witness during that time.

"Did you know Jasper then?" Alice asked, coming to sit down again.

"No, I knew of Maria and what she had managed to accomplish, but I never met him. That being said, of all the vampires that were brough to this life during that time and under those circumstances, he must have been one of the strongest physically and strategically to have survived." Alice beamed with pride and got back up off of the step, pulling me with her. She glanced towards the house. I knew where her thoughts were heading and by my reckoning, he was going to be waiting on her.

"In a hurry to see _your_ soldier or _his_ soldier?" I teased and I nudged her in the ribs.

"Both!" She replied simply and vanished into the house.

"Nice, Alice. Very lady-like." I called after her.

"I'm not a lady, Kali. I am a very dangerous and possibly unstable vampire." I burst out laughing as she flew upstairs. I would be donning headphones for a good part of the evening if her enthusiasm had anything to do with it. The sounds of Slayer and Megadeth tended to tune out the thump-thump-thump noises rather nicely. The look on her face before she bolted was almost worth the sensory deprivation.  
Despite that, I still felt a small pang of jealousy. I was getting used to it and I would have to ask Edward about it. The while 'ninth wheel' thing would probably end up get on my nerves after a while and as the odd man out for nearly eight years, I figured he would know some coping methods for it. I missed my companion. I knew now that the relationship I had with him was nothing on what the couples around me had. They would all die to protect their mates and I sat idly while Euan was destroyed. I wasn't sorry about that. He deserved his fate, but part of me just wished that our connection had been strong enough to compel me to act in his defense.

I had my new family now. The wonderful strangers who took me in as one for their own. They brought me more happiness that I could have thought possible. Even with the drama, they were the single best thing that had happened to me. But I knew I was missing something. Something that Jasper turned his back on human blood for. Something Alice searched for for a decade. Something that Rosalie dragged a bleeding Emmett a hundred miles for. Something that Carlisle waited on Esme for ten years for. Something that Bella and Edward had nearly died for. Something that I needed, but didn't know how to find it.

* * *

_"The police are still reluctant to place the blame for the 39 linked homicides on one individual. In fact, several experts have indicated that there may be more than one culprit, possibly gang related. This is due to the wide range of victims. Young and old, male and female with no race singled out amongst them. All groups have been targeted in, what some are calling, the most violent rampage of serial murder in American History._  
_"The murders are bad enough,"_ Announced the newsreader. _"but there are also the disappearances to consider, almost as many as the murders in number, mostly teenagers or people in their early twenties. The Seattle Police Department urge anyone with any information to come forward and help bring justice to those responsible and to bring peace to the families that have been torn apart by the recent violence that has rocked the city."_

"Hey Edward. Ditching Bella?" Emmett teased as they walked into the living room. They had just caught the end of the news report as they came in through the kitchen. Jasper, Esme Carlisle and I were all huddled around the TV, glued to it as another segment on the Seattle situation appeared on the TV.

"It's getting worse, Jazz," I whispered quietly. I knew the other vampires in the room would hear me, but I honestly didn't care.

"We have to do something, those poor people," Esme lamented. Her compassion for others still astonished me.

"Did you see that they are considering a serial killer now?" Edward asked, tossing a newspaper in Carlisle's direction. His usual need to protect Bella from the unpleasant things in the world was not holding up today. Either that or she got to the newspaper before he did.

Carlisle quickly examined the paper and sighed. "They have been debating the possibility on CNN all bloody morning." My eyes were still stuck on the screen.

"We can't let this go on," Edward stated.

"Let's go now. I'm bored!" Emmett suggested. I had to shove my hands into my pockets to combat the urge to punch him in his head. Rosalie hissed from upstairs at his idea and his eyes rolled. "She is such a pessimist," That did it. I was off the sofa and my hands freed before he had time to blink and I slapped him on the back of his stupid, thick head. Hard.

_"Fucking idiot,"_ I grumbled as he glared at me. Rosalie muttered a quick thanks from their bedroom as he stood, rubbing his apparently thick skull.

"What the _hell_ was that for?" He growled.

"You were being thick," I told him simply.

"He has a point though, Kali. We have to go sometime," Edward said, agreeing with his dumbass of a brother. I was now fighting the urge to slap him. "Probably not the best idea, sis." He said, smirking.

Now I was really fighting it. "Not right now, we aren't ready," I folded my arms in defiance. Rosalie appeared out of nowhere, practically hovering down the stairs.

"I am concerned. We have never involved ourselves with something like this before. It's not our aren't the Volturi," Carlisle shook his head as he spoke.

"You have never had to until now. This is serious, but we are _not_ going unprepared." I looked pointedly at Emmett who huffed and pouted.

"I do not want the Volturi to come here," Edward said.

"Neither do I. I am hardly in their good books, but this gives us so little reaction time." A powerful wave of emotions hit me. It was excited and scared at the same time. No-one else in the room seemed to be affected. Jasper was demanding my attention. I focused on Edward's gift until I was able to hear his mind.

_"Can you hear me now?"_ he thought. I nodded once to confirm it for him before he 'talked' to me again. "Should we tell them now? About the newborns?" I nodded once, pulling my head down sharply.

"Oh," Edward gasped quickly, snapping his head to look at us. "I didn't think of that."

"It's the only explanation, Edward," Jazz replied in thought.

"I see. You're right, it has to be. Well that changes everything," My eyes shot to Bella who looked thoroughly confused. Edward followed my gaze.

"Perhaps you guys should explain it to the others." I nodded, stood up and walked towards Bella. I held out my hand and waited for her to take it. It still shocked me that she didn't flinch when our skin met. When her hand fell into mines, it sent a spasm of fire to my throat. This girl may not have been my singer, but she was the first human that had even remotely tempted me since him. Edward stiffened at my thoughts. I shot him my very best 'back off' look.

_"Chill the fuck out! I am not going to hurt her,"_ I yelled in my head, causing him to wince. _"I love this girl and I would jump onto a fucking bonfire before I would allow myself to harm her in anyway, so BACK OFF!"_. I was getting sick of his overprotective bullshit. We were all working to save his mate, not eat her and he was pissing me the fuck off! I walked passed him, towing Bella with me as I went to sit her on the sofa. As we moved in front of him, he placed his hand on the small of my back. I was in no mood to look into his head but in that small gesture, I sensed his unspoken apology. I took a hold of his hand and looked into his eyes.

_"It's okay,"_ I thought, giving his fingers a quick squeezed before releasing him. It was amazing just how astonishingly hard it was for me to stay mad at any of the Cullens for long period of time. I found that Edward was the one I caved to the quickest. He sat next to Bella as I sat on her other side. Jasper looked into my eyes. I focused enough so that I could hear his mind.

_"We need to show her the scars, Kali. She won't understand if we don't."_ He thought. I nodded once and stood up from the sofa again. I moved over to where Jasper was standing by the table lamp and began to remove my jacket. This was a big thing for me. I had always either worn a long sleeve shirt or a jacket. I wasn't ashamed of my scars, they just didn't inspire confidence or security in others of my kind. It was with a degree of trepidation that I cast my jacket onto the seat I had just vacated and stood next to Jasper. I saw from everyones mind that they hadn't been expecting the scars to be so extensive. Carlisle looked slightly sick. Esme looked horrified. Edward already knew about them. Rosalie looked a little more interested than she had done and Emmett just stared at me. Jasper turned his head, scanned my arms and upper chest and shrugged.

_"Meh, I've got worse."_ He thought. I rolled my eyes. "Bella, you are confused," He noted, turning to look at her.

"We're all confused, man," Emmett groaned, throwing himself down onto the spare chair. I felt like hitting him again. Jaspers lips had mashed into a single hard line in an attempt to suppress whatever emotions were plaguing him. Once he was a little better composed, he turned to Bella.

"Bella, how much do you know about me?" She turned to him, her face going slightly pink.

"Not much." Her honest answer was to be assumed. I could imagine Edward would want to protect Bella from this family member's history. Jasper, like myself, was a fierce looking creature. Now, it was Jasper's turn to look confused.

"You haven't told her this story?" Edward just shook his head. "No. I think you can understand why I never told her this particular story." This boy was just too predictable. _"Be gentle, please. Don't scare her,"_ He thought. Jasper began to roll up the sleeve of his cream sweater as I stepped closer to the lamp on the table. As he came to stand beside me, Jasper held out his arm so that it was covered in the bright white light. I mirrored his actions and waited for Bella until her confusion cleared. It took a couple of seconds for comprehension to dawn on her. She jumped out of her seat.

"Oh," she exclaimed, shoving the sleeve of her own shirt up. A very prominent double crescent shaped scar marked the skin on her hand. Venom boiled under my own at the sight. I was almost uncontrollably furious at the idea that someone had done that to her. She was perfectly healthy and standing right in front of me, but the anger and outrage just wouldn't subside. "You guys have scars like mines,". Bella's voice broke through my instant- and frankly- startling burst of bloodlust but I still felt the compulsion to rip whatever or whoever placed their teeth upon her skin into a burning pile of marble.

"We both have a lot of scars like yours, Bella" I said, when I finally trusted myself enough to speak. The ragged edge to my voice still held part of the ire I had felt. I shifted closed to the light, allowing her to see the weave of healed bites that wound up and down my arm. Jasper stepped forward to allow her to see his as well. I knew that, for her eyes, our scars would be nearly invisible under normal conditions. But under the bright stark light from the lamp, they were thrown into greater relief, allowing her to see just how battle-worn we both were.

"Oh my God! What happened to you?" she gasped,. utterly horrified as she studied our ruined skin. She was worried about us. This fragile, breakable, finite human was worried about the all but immortal vampires. Just when I thought it wasn't possible to love her any more, my dead heart swelled. I would make it my personal mission in this life to protect her. Not to the same extent that Edward did, that was his job. But if it was within my power to do it, it would be done.

"The same thing that happened to you, Bella. Only a thousand times over," Jasper said simply, rolling his sleeve back down. I could have put my jacket back on, but there really wasn't any point. I moved away from the light, noticing how it had warmed my skin slightly as I sat on the floor opposite the sofa. "You have to understand, Bella, that although you have met centuries old vampires, there are places in this world where immortal life is measured in much smaller increments. I'm not talking about psychotic vampires who are avenging their mates. Or about vampire royalty in Italy. I am talking about those who are new to this life."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe I should explain?" Jasper interjected. "You see, Bella, I didn't have the same kind of 'upbringing' as that of my siblings here. I, personally, had a rather different beginning,"

The world room shifted slightly with the people inside it either turning to face the TV or to face us, like we were holding court. It was a little odd.

"You have to look at the world differently to understand why. Imagine the world and how it looks to the powerful, the greedy and the perpetually thirsty. Think of a map of the western. Imagine every human life is a small red dot. The thicker the red, the more desirable it is to us. The easier we find it to hunt inconspicuously."

Bella shuddered slightly at the thought. Jasper and I weren't going to spare her the discomfort if it meant that she understood fully. Edward was glaring subtly at Jasper, who was promptly ignoring him. Bella needed to hear this and she didn't need it watered-down.

"The covens in the south, however, don't care much for discretion. They are only kept in line because the Volturi watches them constantly and keeps them in line. If it weren't for the Volturi, the rest of us would be exposed rather quickly."

"By comparison, the North is actually very civilised. Mostly we are nomadic, enjoying the day as well as the night." I said, keeping the conversation flowing.

"Right," Jasper agreed "But it is a completely different world in the south. The vampires there are truly creatures of the night. They spend their days plotting their next attack or anticipating their enemy's."

"Why?" Bella asked, shifting closer to Edward.

"The south is a war-zone." I explained. "There has been constant, unending war for centuries. They don't care for humans other than as food. The Volturi are the only reason they try to keep their existence from humanity, now,"

Bella's eyes grew a little wider. "What are they fighting for?"

"Remember the map with the red dots?" I asked. She nodded once. "They fight for control of the thickest red." I motioned to Jasper to continue, and continue he did.

He went on to explain about how the wars had escalated from coven versus coven fights to all out battles and the methods used to win those battles. He spoke of the most effective method found and of Benito, the young vampire who came up with the idea in the first place and exercised the use of his method. His strategy of choice was to create multiple newborn vampires at once. The strength, speed and power of a newborn vampire was formidable and he had deduced that if he had several newborns, he could easily demolish the neighbouring covens. Benito's forces had obliterated whole covens in the space of minutes with only a few casualties, pausing only to replenish his army before he moved onto the next coven or town. Other coven leaders had got wind of what it was that Benito had accomplished and followed his lead, creating their own newborns in defense. Jasper explained to Bella that for the first year of this life, newborns are dangerous but not impossible to defeat. They are complete slaves to their instincts and as such, are predictable. He declared that, although they had strength and power beyond reckoning, they were unskilled and therefore could be beaten.

"After other covens created their own newborn forces, all hell literally broke loose. Covens were destroyed; hundreds- thousands- of vampires killed and the human population slumped so drastically that a disease epidemic was blamed and the Volturi stepped in." Jasper stated as he stared at the wall, just over Bella's head, as he continued to explain about the Volturi's year-long tenure in Mexico City and the surrounding area as it was one of the worst affected. Since everyone had newborns at the time, the Volturi had, for the lack of better words, cleaned house. Mexico City was completely free of an immortal presence for some time. Once the Volturi left, the survivors began to creep back into the area, trying to stake their claim once more. They were smarter the second time around. Selecting their newborns more carefully, training them to be more discrete to avoid Volturi involvement again.

"That's how you were changed," Bella whispered as the horrid fact dawned on her.

"Yes," He replied simply.

_"I'm going outside Edward. I need to get some air."_ I thought before I moved out into the backyard. I had heard Jasper's story before. I knew all about his sire, Maria, and how she had changed him and what she had used him for. I knew that she had used him to control the newborns and destroy them when their strength waned. I knew about his former brother, Peter, and his mate, Charlotte. They had escaped from Maria's newborn forces, coming back to take Jasper from her and letting him have some sort of peace. I stepped back inside to hear the end of his story. The end wasn't too bad: It was the closest thing to a Happily Ever After I had heard.

"I was in Philadelphia, during a storm. I was out during the day and standing in the rain would attract attention. I stepped into a half empty diner. My eyes were dark enough so that the bright red wouldn't be noticed. She was sitting there, waiting on me, of course." He smiled at the memory

"She jumped off of the tall counter stool and walked right up to me. I was shock. She could have been trying to attack. Her behaviour didn't suggest anything else to me. But the emotions coming from her were like nothing I had ever felt."

"You kept me waiting long enough," Alice finally piped up, dancing towards her true love. " And you ducked your head, like a good southern gentleman and said _'I'm sorry Ma'am'_ "She and Jasper laughed together at the memory.  
"She told me about Carlisle and his family and what she had seen of them. I didn't believe such an existence was possible, but she took my hand and I never looked back." He murmured wistfully.

"Yeah, and scared the hell out of them too," Edward snorted. "Emmett and I were out hunting. Jazz shows up covered in battle scars, towing this little _freak_-" nodding lovingly towards Alice "who knows them all by name, knows everything about them and wants to know what room she can move into." A round of laughter rippled through the room. "When I got home, all my things were in the garage in boxes."

"Your room had the best view," she shrugged her little shoulders defiantly.

"That was a lovely story," Bella said. My eyes shot to her face and wondered if she had finally flipped her lid. She quickly went on defense as she noted that it was more than myself that was questioning her sanity. "You know, the end part? The happy ending?"

"Alice has made all the difference. This is an environment that I enjoy," Jasper said, hugging Alice close to him.

"What about you, Kali?" Bella asked.

"What about me?"

"Your scars?"

"Oh," I looked to Edward and silently apologised for the way I would have to explain this. "Well, my scars came from centuries of defending myself from mature and newborn vampires alike. I drifted too close to a coven in Paris about a hundred and ninety years ago who had two newborns. I was mistaken as a threat and they attacked. I survived that, but not without sustaining injuries and bites. The majority of the visible scarring is on my arms and across my chest. The newborns hadn't been trained to go for the kill yet. I was quite badly injured about thirty years before that when I was in China. I came across a newborn who had been abandoned by her sire. Se was so young, maybe two months old to this life. Her eyes were the most vivid red and she was wild. She attacked before I could reason with her. I nearly lost an arm that time.

"I also drifted close enough to the south to witness some of the ridiculous devastation that the Southern Wars had wrought on the land and the people. The death toll was nothing short of Diabolical. Humans died to make new vampires. They died to feed the newborn vampires and they died simply because they got caught in the cross fire. I supported and still support the Volturi involvement in the south, if nothing else that they do. They kept and still keep the armies at bay." I didn't need that much detail, just enough to let the family know that I understood what was coming and I could deal with it.

"An army..." Alice whispered "Why didn't you tell me?" All eyes in the room fell onto me and Jasper.

"We did discuss it briefly," I defended.

"I thought I was getting the signs wrong. There is no motive here. In Seattle, there is no vendettas or history. There is no reason for it." Jasper reasoned. I moved to stand beside him and clapped him on the shoulder.

"We have both seen this before though, Jasper. There is no other explanation. They are untrained and running wild all over Seattle. They are causing trouble and getting noticed. It can't be long before the Volturi step in. I'm surprised that they haven't interceded already. It has been going on too long."

"What can we do?" Carlisle asked, speaking up for the first time since the newborn discussion began. I honestly wished I had an answer for him, but I could think of nothing that would help.

* * *

**Author Note- Thanks for reading this, we are now over half way and getting into the good stuff. We have a party, training and a hunting trip. Not to mention the Jake/ Bella kissing scene and the fall out from it. Stick with me, you wonderful people. **

**Kalika (Amanda.)  
**


	19. Reaching Out

_**Author Note - Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed last time. Again, if you have any ideas for good ole' fluffy bits, please drop me a line. I struggle with the fluff sometimes. **_

_**Thanks to Content1 for her awesomeness. It's the only word I could use to describe her really. **_

_**This chapter sees our favourite vampire family look for help and finding nothing but closed doors. **_

_**Sit back, relax and enjoy. **_

* * *

Chapter 19

Reaching out.

"If we avoid want to avoid the Volturi's involvement, we will have to do something." My voice sounded just as miserable as I felt as I said the words.

"We will have to destroy the newborns and we will have to do it very soon," Jasper said. His voice was flat, almost mechanical and it seemed to match his stone heard face pretty well. His assessment of the situation seemed pretty accurate. If we wanted to keep safe, if we wanted to keep Bella safe, then we would have to act. Didn't mean I had to like the fucking idea."I can teach you how," Jasper said, and I could hear the sharp edge that the words had. He hated the idea of that kind of violence now. His past was, honestly, disgusting. No person, vampire or otherwise should have been subject to the things he had seen and done and I knew that the thought of reliving it was beyond painful. Instead of acknowledging this and helping him emotionally, practically, I could be of more use.

"It won't be easy in the city, Jasper. They aren't exactly discrete and if _we_ draw too much attention to ourselves by having a running battle in Downtown Seattle, it will be US the Volturi come to silence." The very thought shot ice-water through my dead veins.

"We lure them out. Away from the city. Will you help?" He could not be serious, could he?

"Why are you even asking that question? I teased, putting a hand on his shoulder as I looked into his eyes. I hoped he could either see or feel my determination and commitment to see this through and to help in any way that I could. He nodded once and patted my hand to let me know that he had understood.

"We may not need to lure them out," Edward said quietly. My head whipped round to where he had been sitting and his face was bleak. I didn't want to be inside his head to see what had illicited that look. Although, his expression, like Jasper's before, seemed to match his tone. "doesn't it occur to anyone else that the only possible threat that would call for the creation of an army would be us?"

If I could have went green with nausea, I would have. Bella yelped as Jasper's eyes narrowed. Carlisle looked completely horrified.

"Tanya's family are also close," Esme said, trying to keep everyone calm but the desperation of her words was blatant as she tried to prove her son wrong.

"There aren't any newborns ravaging Anchorage, Esme. I think we have to consider the idea that _we_ are the intended targets."

"They aren't coming after us," Alice said, her eyes fogged over and in a totally different place than the rest of her. Everyone paused to wait on her finishing her statement. Hopefully, she would see something that would prove Edward to be a drama queen, once again and everything would be just fine... only I didn't have luck that ran that good. "Or they don't know that they are. Not yet,"

"What was that?" Edward asked, tension rolling off of him. "What are you remembering?" I didn't have the focus to look and see for myself. It took me all my time not to scream out in pain whenever I peaked at Alice's vision and I wasn't in the mood to have my brain fried at that moment.

"Flickers," Alice advised, her vision a thousand miles away from the rest of her. "I can't see a clear picture when I try to see what's going. But I have been getting these strange flashes. Someone keeps changing their mind, moving from one path to another so quickly that I can't get a good look..."

"Indecision?" I asked

"Not indecision," Edward growled, "Knowledge."

I was confused again. "Pardon me?"

"Someone who knows you can't see anything until the decision is made. Playing with the holes in your vision," I felt cold again. Only one person could have that knowledge outside of our family and the Denali coven. That one person would know how anyone's gift worked with a touch of the hand. I shivered involuntarily and it did not go unnoticed.

Alice, Esme and Bella all turned to look at me. "If Aro Volturi has met you, touched you, he would know more about your gift that even you do, Alice. He would know how to manipulate his way around the visions."

"But I would see if they decided to come..." Alice protested.

"Unless they didn't want to get their hands dirty?" Rose asked "Someone from the south who was already in trouble. They do this and lget let off with it?"

Carlisle just shook his head "But the Volturi have no reason-"

"Yes there was," Edward interrupted. I saw it in his head before he could even explain it. Aro Volturi was a collector. Anything that he thought would solidify his power, he craved. With a coven of formidable size and strength like the Cullens, he would want the gifts that they possessed. The Cullen's were a target. Jasper would be invaluable with his military knowledge, strategic mind and his empathic ability. Edward would give Aro the power or hearing thoughts without the need to touch. No doubt, the biggest target was strapped to Alice's back. Her clairvoyance, however sketchy, would be the crown jewel of the Volturi guard if Aro had anything to do with it. Edward unfortunately confirmed my thoughts.

"You're right, Kali." He said simply "However, with your gift, you will be a target if he finds out you are here." I didn't hear a lot of the rest of his explanation for the others. My mind was too occupied by the images running through my head. Alice, Edward and Jasper were draped in the dark grey robes of the Volturi guard; Edward holding one of Aro's hands and Alice holding the other, their eyes glinting an horrific velvet red. I didn't see myself in those visions. I wasn't there, dawning a robe with my eyes bearing the evidence against the human life I would have taken. I smiled to myself at that. I would burn before I joined their ranks. I tried to listen to Edward as I watched the scene play out in my head, but not all the words got through. Words like 'Wanted and competition and omniscient' bled through the visions of the volturi guard and tainted them a rather sickly green colour. Envy polluted the images in my mind. Aro was jealous of what he thought Carlisle had and I was damn sure he would do just about anything to get it, even if that meant breaking his own laws.

"It goes against their own rules," Carlisle broke through my thoughts because he was saying the exact opposite from what I was thinking. I would have deemed the Volturi capable of anything. The stress in his voice was unmistakable. "They are too committed to their mission."

"If it is them, Carlisle, they will clean up afterwards. Just like they are supposed to do, they will take care of the evidence." I said, realising more and more that there was a good chance that this was right.

Jasper leaned forward, shaking his messy blonde head. "The Volturi like their rules too much. Besides, it's too sloppy, too rough. This person - threat- have no idea what they are doing. A first-timer, I would swear to it."

"Let's _GO_!" Emmett yelled, jumping out of his seat. "What are we waiting for?" I felt the urge to hit him again and had to shove my hands a little deeper into my pockets just so that I couldn't try and put my fist through his head. I locked down my muscles and and forced myself to tear my trained gaze off of him. It landed on Carlisle and Edward who appeared to be having a rather private, non-verbal conversation.

I managed to tune in just in time to hear the end. _"-Edward. I don't like this. I don't want to fight but they cannot be allowed to get this far. It's not safe."_ Edward nodded once and turned to face jasper and I. I waited for Edward to ask us the question that I was honestly dreading just a little bit.

"Will you teach us, Jasper? Kali?" Carlisle asked, shocking me a little. "How to fight them. How to ...destroy them." The sparkle that was always held in Carlisle's eyes disappeared when he finished that sentence. I could almost feel the disgust exploding out of him at the thought of killing another living creature.

"We will need help," Jasper mused. "Do you think Tanya's family will help?"

"I will call and ask." Carlisle said a little too mechanically for my liking.

Jasper pulled out a mobile phone and handed it to Carlisle and said one simple word that set me into a slight panic. "Hurry."

Carlisle moved away from us, whether it was for a little privacy or not, I'm not sure, but he ended up next to the back window, bracing himself against it as if trying to hold himself up. I had never seen him this shaken before, it was terrifying. "Hello, Tanya? It's Carlisle," He began when the phone finished it's second ring.

_"Carlisle! How are you?"_ Came the response from the female vampire.

"Tanya, I am slightly short of time right now so we will have to do without the pleasantries today, I am afraid."

_"What's wrong, Carlisle?"_

"Tanya, we need your help. There are a number of newborn vampires ravaging Seattle. We think they are coming here for us. We need your help to take care of them."

_"Why? The Volturi take care of messes like that."_ Tanya said, in a tone I didn't quite like.

"We cannot let them come this far. They will stop and check on Bella after what happened in Italy during the Spring."

_"So you are doing all of this to keep Bell safe?"_ Tanya almost sneered. Who the fuck was this bitch and what gave her the right to talk like that?

"It is one of the main reasons, yes."

_"Then, Carlisle, I am afraid I might not be able to help."_

"What do you mean?" Carlisle demanded, his free hand baling and releasing against the window.

_"Irina is unhappy with Edward's human."_

"What are you talking about, Tanya?"

_"Irina was mated with Laurent, Carlisle."_

"I had no idea she felt that way about him."

_"She would be willing to help, if she was allowed to avenge her mate."_

"You mean...-" Carlisle began again.

_"If she is allowed to kill the wolf responsible for her mates demise, we will help you." _Tanya said. I could practically hear her shoulders shrugging over the phone.

"That's out of the question, Tanya. We have a treaty with the wolves and the treaty stands." Carlisle growled. his diplomacy vanished with Tanya's previous statement. As much as I hated the wolves, and- trust me- I did, I wouldn't allow a massacre over a vile creature that had tried to harm Bella. I would have ripped Laurent apart myself if given the opportunity. Laurent deserved his fate and it brought me a measurable amount of peace to know that he was sent to it in a reasonably painful fashion.

_"I am afraid, Carlisle, that we will be unable to help you."_ Tanya stated, her cool manner pissed me off.

"Then we will just have to do this on our own." Carlisle growled more forcefully before snapping the phone shut and throwing it against the wall. The dent in the plaster was peppered with pieces of broken plastic and silicone, which had also gathered in a little heap on the floor. Carlisle was losing his control rapidly. Jasper, thank God, sent a much needed surge of calm around the room. I felt my shoulders unbunch and my hands de-claw themselves under Jasper's manipulations.

"What happened, Carlisle?" Bella asked. Fuck! It never even occurred to me that the phone conversation would have been too quick for her to understand.

"Irina was closer to Laurent than we thought," He explained "She is unhappy with the wolves for killing him to save Bella. She wants-" He paused, I knew he didn't want to scare her but there really wasn't any other way.

"Just say it, Carlisle," She said, slightly less polite that unusual. Carlisle caught the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger before continuing. "She wants to destroy the wolves in exchange for the Denali clan's help."

"No!" Bella leapt out of her seat, nearly falling flat on her face as her feet caught on nothing but air. Her voice carried fury and fear in equal measures.

"It's alright, Bella. Carlisle would never agree to it." I said, trying to calm her down.

"Laurent had it coming," Edward snarled. "I still owe the wolves for that."

"I don't like it, Carlisle," Jasper said quietly. "The numbers are too close. We would have the upper hand with skill. We would win, but at what cost?"

I looked around the room when he had finished speaking. He knew just as well as I did that we would be victorious, but we would have to lose members of our family. I shuddered at the thought. There must have been something we could do. I could not let anything happen to my family. I wouldn't.

* * *

Edward was gone for the night. After what had been a long evening for everyone, Bella was particularly exhausted. Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie and Emmett all retired to their rooms while myself, Alice and Jasper were strategising.

"We could have really used the extra help for Alaska," Jasper sighed downheartedly. His utter defeat by the Alaskan covens reluctance to help was depressing.

"_Fuck them!_" I stated. " I mean, they are supposed to be family, they should be here but they aren't. So, at the risk of repeating myself- _Fuck. Them._ The extra bodies would have helped, but they ain't coming, so lets make do with what they have." I had been trying to maintain some kind of realistic thought during the two hours that interceded Carlisle's phone call and our little cabinet meeting that we were conducting on the back lawn.

Alice finally spoke. "So how do you think we should do it?"

"Well, you all need to be trained," Jasper said. "You have seen one vampire fight, but he was older and he was thirsty. These will be well fed, wild newborns. They are a completely different animal than a mature vampire."

"Might I suggest scouting out Seattle at some point? I have a house just outside the city limits and it might be an idea to try and see what we are up against." It sounded like a good idea in my head. Jasper's raised eyebrows and skeptical face made me think otherwise.

"You want to do reconnaissance?"

"Couldn't hurt..." I shrugged.

"True. We will wait until Alice see's something then we will go and look."

"But everything is still so vague..." Alice muttered. Her eyes had been constantly drifting in and out for focus for the past two hours, trying to find something that would help. I pointedly focused my thoughts on anything but her while she was doing this. The burning pain in my head when I tried to used her gift was not worth it.

"When we get a plan together they will be come clearer, Darlin' "Jasper squeezed Alice's knee in reassurance. Unfortunately, Alice wasn't quite so hopeful.

"Let's hope so," She huffed.

Out of sheer frustration, I threw myself back onto the blanket that Alice had laid out for us to sit on. Laying face up, I stared into the black sky. Another scene where a thousands suns blazed, making me feel just a little bit smaller than I was used to. It triggered all kinds of negative thoughts. One of which was that the fight that was coming, was too big for us. The eight vampires on our side couldn't win against an army of newborns, regardless of how well trained we were. We weren't all going to make it.

"Kali, quit it," Jasper demanded, flinching under the weight of my pessimism. I knew my premature feelings of defeat would affect him, but I honestly didn't care enough to try and curtail them.

"I guess the best thing to do would be to train everyone. I have experience with more mature vampires, but I have dealt with newborns before. I could be of some use in getting the family ready. Between the two of us-"

"We should have all the bases covered." It was slightly weird that we found ourselves on the same page. So much so that finishing each others sentences had become an issue. The only explanation I could come up with was that we both knew what had to be done and what it would take to do it. Destroying others of my kind had always been difficult for me. It took the monster- The untamed, feral beast inside of me- to do it. My diet made me more compassionate than others of my kind but that only added to the guilt I felt whenever I had to defend myself and destroy one of them. Killing vampires was inordinately painful for me. It upset me that my family would have to deal with that.

"Kali..." Jasper reprimanded me again for my negativity. He didn't even need to finish the sentence before I felt guilty.

"Sorry Jazz,"

"How do you think we should do this then?" Alice asked.

"We need to get everyone together and outside. Out of town where the noise won't become an issue." I mused.

"The baseball clearing," They both said in unison before collapsing in a heap laughing. At least Jasper was able to pull himself together long enough to give the statement some clarity. "It is out of the way and big enough for what we need."

"We will need to do one on one sessions, uneven groupings, defensive skills, kill-shots, evasive maneuvers, tactics, shock treatment, disposal of bodies, reattachment of limbs- just in case..." I began running the ideas through my head as I said them out loud.

"Might I suggest a couple of sessions then?" Alice offered.

"One night, we could do defensive, the next would be for offensive." Jasper suggested. It seemed like the best way to do it.

"If we have time, I will take Edward aside and do some one to one training with him," Alice and Jasper looked at me with incredulity. I quickly moved to defend myself. "He is too emotional. He needs to be driven to be clinical and calculating. Seeing as he knows me the least, I can do it. I bet I can piss off the eternal gentleman to the point where he hits me. "

"I'll take you up on that bet, Kali." Jasper put his hand forward which I shook dramatically, causing us both to chuckle.

"Right, so what are our main problems, then?" Alice asked, "What are we facing up to here?" I could almost see the list form in her head as she considered the issues for herself.

"Well, the numbers aren't in our favour," Jasper offered.

It was my suggestion next... "Our lack of knowledge as to why this is happening?"

"Lack of help," Jasper followed after me.

"The need to remain inconspicuous." I mused

"The Volturi getting too close... Need we continue?" Jasper asked, smiling slightly at our little game of 'Calamity Tennis'.

"Alright, I get the picture..." Alice huffed.

"We will organise something for Monday or Tuesday."

As I said the words, Alice glared at me. "What did I do now?"

"Kali, graduation is Monday and we are having a party."

"Are you kidding me?"

"I've seen it." Alice stated. As if _that_ would mean anything.  
"You've seen it because you decided it would go ahead, you monumental pain in my arse!" I called her out, laughing as I did so.

"It is going to happen." This conversation just became a lot less funny.

"You are out of your mind. Loud music, flashing lights- Why not just slap a big **_'Cullens here'_** sign on each of our foreheads?" I was starting to get seriously pissed off now. Her need for a party should be a lot further down her list of priorities than it appeared to be. Her desire to help and protect her family should overrule everything.

"Everyone will get through the party and we will train afterwards." She sounded happy. The little pixie sounded happy at the idea of blowing off important things like training for the sake of having some stupid fucking party that she could have in five years when they have to move house again. How the hell is it even scientifically possible for someone that small to be that annoying?

"Alice, are you absolutely, one hundred percent sure that everything about the party will be alright and go off without a hitch?" I pressed.

"Positive." She looked way too smug for her own good. Annoying little elf! "I will need your help though. I need some stuff from Olympia and you will need Emmett's jeep to get it."

"Is there any point in arguing?" I asked, knowing the answer already.

"No," Both Alice and Jasper's voice sounded out in the night air. "Kali, do you have a strong desire to go to school tomorrow?"

"What day would that be?"

"Thursday." I thought about it for a moment. English, Spanish, Calculus (Why didn't they just call it maths?) PE and Art... Nothing I couldn't get away with skipping. "Nope, I can live with a day off. It will save me having to worry about dodging Mike fucking Newton and his fixation on my- and I quote- '_Rockin' Ass_' as he so delicately put it in his mind." I was grumbling and unfortunately, my current company was hardly sympathetic. Their loud guffaws scared the owls out of the trees on the other side of the river. "Thanks for the support there, you monsters!" I placed a hand over my heart, looking hurt and disappointed.

"Now Kali, it has been more than once that I have caught you gazing into Mike Newtons eyes." Alice teased.

"Does hoping that my vampire abilities would allow me to make him a victim of spontaneous human combustion count as gazing?." I spat.

"So you thought you could get him hot by just looking at him?" Jasper asked, waggling his eyebrows. I curled my hand into a fist again, pulling it back slow enough so that Jasper could see it coming for him. He just laughed harder as he noticed my movements.

"Right, that's enough." A strange authority ran out of the pint-sized pixie as she pointed a finger into both mines and Jasper's face. "Kali, you will go to Olympia tomorrow and I will give you a list of what I need and where to get it. Jasper will help you when you get home. Well, that is if you stop arguing about Mike bloody Newton!"

"Yes boss," We crowed in unison before falling over laughing again.

"You know, Alice, dictatorship looks good on you." I noted, silently proud of our own little Mussolini.

"It's only going to get worse" Jasper muttered.

"You have no idea' Jazzy." She purred, still with her fingers extended towards our faces. . "It _will_ get worse before it get's better." She said menacingly shuddered at the mere thought.

* * *

_**Author Note-That one was a little shorter than the last two, but the length will hold steady from now on I think.  
**_

_**Thanks for reading, once again. It makes me happy to know that people are reading this and connecting with the character. **_

_**The next chapter will have a section titled 'No More Bubblewrap.' We will see Edward finally break that carefully composed facade.**_

_**Thanks again to Content1 for all her help and understanding. **_

_**Go forth and review, they make me smile when I am having a shite day.  
**_


	20. Bubblewrap, Crossing Lines

_**Author Note - Sorry about the delay getting this chapter out, but real life kicked me swiftly up the arse this week.**_

_**I have however finished writing this whole thing and it will appear as quickly as I can type it now. **_

_**Thanks to Content1 for all her help and ideas. She helps me make Kali who she is. **_

_**Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. **_

_**Here we go, time to see what happens as Edward finds out about Jake kissing Bells. **_

_**Team Jasper!**_

_**Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just fuck it up for fun.  
**_

* * *

_**Chapter 20**_

_**Bubble-wrap / Crossed lines**_

The list Alice had provided me with was nothing short of ridiculous. It contained the makings of of a festival style sound system, lights, heaters, air conditioners, ice-makers, smoke machines, lasers... The girl had lost the plot. After insisting that everything on the list was absolutely necessary, I was sent out to Olympia to hunt for the items that she deemed 'life or death important'. Although, I personally didn't see how a forty two inch plasma TV was necessary for a graduation party.

I was shopping for at least four hours. When I finally had everything on the list and had gone through an entire packet of cigarettes to try and control my unnecessary rage at every shop assistants that treated me like an imbecile with 'daddies credit card', I was finally heading home. It shocked me just how quick to temper I was. I think it meant that I should hunt soon, but if Alice had anything to do with it, I would be wrapped up in preparations and party plans for a whole week.

Emmett's jeep was precariously loaded with as much of the equipment as was legal and safe, It wouldn't hit anywhere close to its top speed due to the sheer weight of the payload I was carrying. Rosalie would have to check the suspension on this when I got home. In hindsight, a quick drive to Seattle to get my Hummer would have been the better option. It had better traction and the space was favorable in compassion to the Jeep. Hindsight is a wonderful thing... I would have to buy them a Hummer or a semi-truck or something if Alice continued on the way she did.

"Kali, I wouldn't let her hear you say that out loud..." Oh, good! Edward was home. He could help me unload half of this shit with the other two boys. "I'm sitting with Bella, I can't," He pleaded quietly.

"Bullshit! Get off your shiny, glittery arse and come and help. Bring the human with you, she can help too!" I thought sharply as I pulled into the garage.

"She's not a vampire.." He protested.

"She's not a cripple either. Stop treating her like one!" I shouted as I got out of the car.

"Go get him, Kals!" Emmett boomed, holding a fist out for me to bump it with mines.

"Stay out of this, Emmett." Edward growled. I heard bodies shifting in the living room as I opened up the back of the jeep. "Where are you going, love?"

Bella spoke as she moved towards the garage. "I'm going to help."

"Bella..."

"Don't try and stop me, Edward." Bella let out a little growl all of her own. I couldn't help the smile that spread all over my face at her attempt at looking fierce again.

"You could get hurt, love," He said. I could tell from the tone of his voice he was trying to Dazzle her. I could almost see his eyes turning to liquid gold as they burned with an intensity that should have floored the average human's will power in seconds.

"Stop it!" Bella demanded. "I am going to help, even if you don't." Her footsteps sounded as she made her way towards us. Emmett quickly placed the huge box he was carrying on the floor and dropped to his knees.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I hissed, putting my own burden on the pile in the back of the garage that Alice was hiding behind, taking inventory of my spoils.

"Just wait," He said, looking towards the door. Alice started laughing hysterically, and it was really pissing me off. Before I could bring Edward's gifts into my mind to find out what the hell was so funny, Bella walked into the garage and blushed furiously. Emmett began to fall forward into a low bow over and over again while chanting _'We're Not Worthy_'. I erupted into giggles as Emmett worshiped his little sister for her tenacity. Edward suddenly appeared at the door, his face a storm of anger and frustration, but he-wisely- held his tongue. I would hate to have to bring him down a peg or two in front of everyone. That would wait until Bella was home and safe and it wouldn't embarrass him for me to rip him a nice big new one in front of her. His eyes darted to me and his unspoken fury grew.

_"That's right, Mr. Chivalry. We will be talking later!"_ I shouted in my thoughts. He nodded once and went to hover over Bella as she helped Emmett move a box.

Jasper had to take control of the situation at one point. Edward wasn't calming down and his high and mighty attitude was seriously pissing me off. Edward was pissed and I was pissed and for some reason, Alice was _really_ pissed. Jasper had sedated the room long enough for us all to complete the unloading of the Jeep and for us to store it properly. Once Edward got Bella home and returned, he was incensed. He walked in the front door, through the living room and right to the back door without uttering a word. He wrapped his long fingers around the doorknob and he turned to look in my direction. I squared my shoulders and got up from the couch where I was sitting with Emmett and Jasper. One to one time apparently.

"Go easy on him, sis. He's just a boy." Emmett teased. His concern would have been almost believable if it hadn't been for the fact that he was looking forward to Edward getting read the riot act. Edward glared at him before he turned and left the house. I followed him out, the sounds of muttered warnings and encouragement trailing behind me. I chose to ignore most of it. This was something that Edward and I had to talk about and talk about alone. We hit the river, leaping gracefully before taking off at a sprint into the woods. After fifteen minutes, he came to a sudden and graceful stop. I over shot the landing, as it were, having to turn and walk back to him. He was leaning against a tree, his hands fisted so tight, the skin over his knuckles was more white than normal and looked ready to split at any second. He lifted his head as I approached him.

"Kali," He began calmly. "I have to control myself around Bella. Every touch, embrace and kiss are all calculated. They are checked and re-checked to make sure that I don't hurt her. Everything I do, everything that I am is designed to protect her and you undermine that by allowing her to put herself in a dangerous situation."

"_Are you fucking kidding me?_" I replied, barely keeping hold of my rage at his accusation. "Edward, she carried two fucking boxes and one bag the grand total of twenty feet. The only danger she was in was from paper cuts when you snatched the boxes from her like they were nuclear weapons!"

"She could have fallen and hurt herself!" He argued, his tone now matching mines.

"With five vampires in the room, one of which is a psychic? I doubt that."

"You don't understand, Kali," He muttered, taking the bridge of his nose between his fingers. I rolled my eyes. I fucking hated it when he did that.

"No, you don't understand, Edward. She is fragile, she breaks easily. I get that, I really do. But Edward, she is a big girl and you are treating her like a baby!"

"I am trying to protect her! Don't you get it?"

"I get it. I promise, I get it. But try and see it from my perspective, okay? She is a human, a clumsy one at that. She will fall over and we won't always be there to catch her. She needs to fall sometimes so that she can learn to pick herself back up."

"I have to protect her, Kali." he growled.

"Yes, you do. From psychotic vampires and temperamental werewolves and would be rapists and all manner of beasts and monsters... but you can't protect her from being human. She needs to learn how to take care of herself and she can't do that from her 'Safe Bella Bubble'." I moved to stand beside my brother. I didn't want to fight with him. I understood why he behaves the way that he did. Bella was fragile. I found myself doing all kinds of complex calculations in my head just so that I could give her a handshake.

Edward interrupted my train of thought. "So you can see my point?" He asked, stepping forward and placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Edward, I understand you, but you don't seem to understand me." This wasn't working. I would need a new plan.

"Which is?" he asked.

"Edward, what do you want for Bella?"

"I want her to be happy,"

"Do you want her to be one of us?"

"No." He snapped.

"You want her to stay human?"

"Yes!" He growled, his anger getting the best of him. Good, I needed him pissed off for this to work.

"Then why aren't you letting her live like one?"

The next thing that I registered, I was forty feet away from where I was and my chest was throbbing like hell. The fucker hit me! My vision flooded crimson as I fought to control myself. I sat up off the ground, pulling my knees against my aching chest and resting my arms on them. I stared at my hands, wondering why -for a creature with a perfect memory- I couldn't recall how to un-fist them.

_"Control yourself! Control yourself! Control yourself!"_

Saying the words out loud, helped me to pay attention to them. I would regret ripping him apart later when I had calmed down. I focused on the ground as I waited for the angry to subside long enough for me to ask him what the fuck he was playing at.

"Kali," Edward said softly. His remorse and shame was clear in those four little letters. I forced myself to look at him. Never before had I seen an angel look so guilty. He held his hand out for me to pull myself up and I snarled at it viciously. He pulled his hand back a bit, but never taking it all the way back.

We stayed like that for nearly ten minutes until I calmed myself down. He stood over me, both protective and apologetic, waiting for me to bring justice to him. I kept my mind purposefully blank. I knew he didn't hurt me on purpose. He was lashing out and I would allow it. At least I didn't break easily. How he hadn't killed half of the population of Forks out of sheer frustration, I wasn't sure. I opened my mind to him and focused.

_"You and I are going to have a love/ hate relationship, you know that, right?"_ I thought, finally looking into his honey-coloured eyes.

"Kali, I am more sorry than you know." He said, holding out a hand for me to take. The second that my hand was in his, I was off the ground, crushed against his chest and being thoroughly squashed.

"Edward, let me go. I am being squished and my chest kind of hurts." I teased, knowing he would release me instantly.

"Are you alright?" He asked, scanning my upper body for physical damage.

"Quit eying me up, will you? I'm fine. Just pissed off. Do you ant to explain why I am forty two feet away from where I started this conversation?"

"Kali, I live with the constant struggle of keeping Bella alive. No-one ever questions my methods."

"Really? Even after the 'Incident'? I'm sorry, but I am calling bullshit. Keeping her safe and keeping her trapped are two totally different things. Humans get sick, they fall over, they bang their heads, they break some bones...it's normal." I said. I sounded like I was begging him to see my point of view. "Protect her from lunatic bitch vampires and horse-sized wolves, but don't protect her from being human."

"I'll try. She is my everything, Kali. I couldn't live in a world where she doesn't exist. If anything happened to her, it would kill me."

I nodded once, giving him one more squeeze around the middle before letting him go.

"Alice is going to dismantle me," Edward groaned, taking a slow step back.

"Why?"

"She was angry with me earlier. She must have seen-" He struggled to finish the sentence out of sheer embarrassment.

"She saw you hit me?" I offered. His eyes snapped to mines and the sorrow and shame was back.

"I have never hit a woman like that before, Kali. It's not an excuse because there is no justification for what I did, but I am so sor-"

"If you say sorry one more time, I am going to hit you back!" I threatened, silently hoping that he would push it. One good shot would be enough to make me feel better, I was sure of it. His eyebrows quirked and his mouth fell into his crooked grin. He took a step back and raised his hand, curling his finger, motioning me to go ahead. I felt my own eyebrows rise in surprise with him nodding his head, allowing me to go for it.

I grinned as my mind fell blank, stepping towards Edward who now stood with his arms by his side and a shit-eating grin on his face. Cocky fucker thought that I wouldn't be able to get him. I took a step forward, focusing on his gift, and thought about punching him in the shoulder. He began to sway to the left and right, anticipating my moves. I followed him, shifting from side to side while moving forward until I was less than three feet away, switching ideas too quickly for him to catch me then there was a loud _**CRACK! **_He wasn't here anymore. He was thirty feet away and face down in the dirt.

"Damn it," he muttered, picking himself off of the floor and brushing mud off of his shirt.

"I can read your mind as well, Edward," I reminded him, offering him help; to stand.

"Did you have to punch me quite so hard?" he complained, rubbing his chest just over his heart.

"Did you have to hit so hard?"

"Touche." He said, smiling.

"You up for a quick hunt?" I asked, tasting the air. There were a couple of deer nearby and my temper- or lack thereof- was proof enough that I needed to hunt.

"I have to get back to Bella," He murmured.

"No problem. I'll grab a quick bite and head home."

"Kali?"

"Yeah?"

"Sorry, again," Edward turned about and headed to the house. I realised that he might not actually be an out of control vampire. He was just a kid. A normal, seventeen year old kid who was trying to look after his girlfriend. I smiled at the idea and headed out to hunt.

* * *

I didn't go to school the rest of that week. Well, the one day of it that was left. There was only the Friday left of school now and I honestly couldn't cope with doing another day. The mere thought just about shoved me over the edge. I hung out around the house, mostly. I helped Esme in the garden a lot though. I found spending time with her to be remarkably peaceful. I didn't to much actual gardening but I spent a lot of time with her just laughing and talking. I found it odd that although the story was that Carlisle was my uncle, I always considered him to be more like a brother. Esme, however, felt like a mother in every sense of the word. Her face was breathtaking when I explained this to her.

"Kali, I will be whatever you need me to be. I love you the same way that I love all my other children. You ARE one of my children, despite our rather impressive age gap,"

I didn't have a response to that. The only thing I could think to do was to give her a hug. God, I squeezed her so tight and crushed her to me, putting everything that I had into it, hoping she understood the sentiment behind it. It had been ten weeks since I officially became a Cullen and I had spent a good whack of that time trying to figure out what exactly it was that I had done to deserve a family like this. Esme released me when we heard Alice's phone ringing. I beamed up at my mother and went inside. Alice was having an argument on the phone with Edward.

"I know where she is, Edward, her future just disappeared." I hissed loudly. She was going to see the wolf.

"I'll be home soon. Is Kali home?" Why the hell was Edward asking for me? I motioned to Alice to give me the phone and was slightly surprised when she gave it up without a fight.

"Edward? What's wrong?"

"Nothing really. Do you mind coming for a quick drive with me? I need to discuss something with you." He sounded upset.

"What kind of question is that?" I demanded. "Of course I will. when will you be home?"

"Two minutes."

"See you then," I said, snapping Alice's phone shut and handing it to her. "Alice, don't look for that conversation."

"Why?"

"Because he wants to discuss something privately, Alice."

"I can't control what I see, Kali," She pouted.

"If you see it, that's fine. But do not look for it." She just huffed her response and went upstairs.

"Is Edward alright?" Esme asked, coming front he kitchen. I could feel her concern and it mirrored mines.

"He's okay, Esme. I think he just wants to get some stuff off of his chest."

"Why you, though?"

"I think he finds it hard to talk about what is happening with him and Bella with all the happy couples around. I think he just needs some venting room." I shrugged my shoulders. "I'll take care of him, Esme. He is my brother and I will help him." She didn't have anything further to add so she just nodded and headed back in the direction of the kitchen.

I looked down at myself. Shit. I was covered in mud from the garden and there was no way Edward would let me into his car looking like this. I headed up the stairs and froze outside Alice's door. I should probably apologise to her for my attitude before...

"There are clean clothes on your bed for you, Kali." She said, opening her room door.

"You get a second, Alice?"

"I know what he did." She stated. Her tone made sure that I didn't mess about.

"Are you referring to the discussion that myself and Edward had last night?"

"Yes, I saw what he did to you."

"Ah,"

"What did you say to him?" She demanded. I could tell that she couldn't decide to who be more pissed at. Him for hitting me or me for provoking him.

"I questioned his methods," I stated. Alice's confused expression indicated to me that I should probably continue. "I told him that he should stop treating Bella like a baby."

"Oh,"

"You didn't see that?"

"I just saw you getting hit. Did he hurt you?" her voice fell to a whisper that even vampires would have had difficulty hearing.

I shook my head. "I hit him back." I replied in the same hushed tone. Our conversation was cut short by the sound of Edward's Volvo hitting the driveway at speed.

"Shit!" I exclaimed, earning a rather motherly huff from downstairs. I quickly got changed, grabbing my phone as I went and jumped out of the bedroom window, and landing inches away from the bonnet of Edward's car as he came to a stop.

"Was that really necessary?" Edward asked, smiling.

"Absolutely." I decreed, climbing into the passenger seat. The car was in motion again before I even got the door shut. "So what's the plan, captain?"

"We are going for a drive," He stated and floored it. Neither of us spoke again until we hit the highway.

"What's happening, Edward?" I asked, wanting him to say something. The tension was just about killing me.

"I wanted to talk to you or Jasper about the training we need to do and I was going to have Alice look after Bella, but she suggested going to Jacob's house instead." His monotonous tone was scaring me a little.

"And you let her go?"

"Yes,"

"Well done," I said, placing a hand on his knee and feeling slightly proud of my baby brother.

"Huh?"

"You are letting her be a grown up and making her own decisions. Well done."

"She cares about him," He said suddenly in a small voice. As the words escaped his mouth, the knuckles on his hand went bone white as he gripped the steering pain in his eyes chilled me to the core.

"Edward, you are going to break the steering wheel, now pull over." I demanded. The last thing he needed was to end up running up the back of another car. He hit the hard shoulder and rolled to a stop. He leaned forward, resting his head on the steering wheel.

"He is her friend, Edward," I said. I could tell from his reaction seconds ago that it went deeper than that. He needed to talk, not to be badgered. I bit my tongue against the questions that threatened to spill out of my mouth. When I trusted myself to speak again, I tried to reassure him. "I'm not going to bleed the information out of you. I am your sister and I love you, regardless of what you have to tell me. I will sit here with you all night if that's what you need."

We sat in silence for a couple of minutes. I focused on the road ahead of us and on trying to be a good sister. He needed to do this in his own time, that much was obvious, but the curiosity was just about killing me. He took a steadying breath before speaking. This was it.

"I am going to talk and I need you to try and understand and listen, okay?" I sent him a silent _'yes'_ and waited for him to begin. He took a couple of seconds to compose himself before he started to talk again.

"Kali, I am a monster. We all are. We end lives to sustain our existence. We are soulless creatures and for nearly one hundred years, I have never considered myself to be anything more. Bella has changed me completely, but she hasn't altered my view on what I- what we are. I love her more than any words or images can describe, but she deserves so much more that what I can give her. She is so fragile, so breakable. A bad trip, a fall, illness- even nature- could take her away from me in a heartbeat. The very thought kills me." He was finally losing the plot. I had honestly never heard a vampire ramble before, but this was something else. He was so far gone that he didn't even make comment on my thoughts.

"When I realised how I felt about Bella, there were only four options. One, hope that she didn't care for me like I cared for her. That she just go on and live a normal life. Two, assuming that she DID care for me, I would leave, forcing her to forget about me. Three, stay with her during her human life and find a way to follow her when she died. Four, give her what she thinks she wants. Take away her life- her soul- and condemn her to walk in the shadows as one of the damned for all of eternity."

"Is that how you see us?" I demanded "Condemned and damned?" I forgot that I wasn't supposed to be speaking until he was finished, but fuck it, he was pissing me off with his pessimistic 'we are all going straight to hell' theories.

"Yes, that's how I see us. You aren't supposed to be interrupting," I mumbled my apologies and shut up.

"I chose option three for us. I didn't have the strength to leave and I wouldn't change her. After what happened in Phoenix, I was scared for her. Humans aren't built to live in our world, Kali. They are too fragile. She was and still is, constantly in danger. I continue to put her in danger.

"At her birthday party, my worst fears were confirmed. My own brother almost took her from me. A single drop of her blood turned every vampire in the room into a savage. I couldn't be around her but I could keep her safe. I forced the family to leave. I told Bella we had to go..."

His face clouded over and his eyes bore unimaginable pain. He wasn't going to be able to finish this story. If I was going to help him, I would have to know. I focused on him.

"Show me, Edward," I asked, watching him as he closed his agonised eyes from me. My head whirled with his memories. Images of the forest, silent but for Edward and Bella's conversation. Seeing her heart break in fron_t of his eyes and knowing it was his fault._

_"You're just not...good for me, Bella."_

_"Not good enough for you."_

_"No."_

_"Well, that changes things...a lot."_

_"It's alright, human memories fade and you will forget me." _

_"And what about your memories?"_

_"Our kinda are easily...distracted. I suppose I will always love you- in a way,"_

The memory shifted. The forest was speeding backwards and echoes of Bella's voice chased a now sprinting Edward. Her yells for him, hearing her  
scream his name over and over again was torture. Sobs crashed against the trees as Edward ran- Painful, tearless, racking heaves. I couldn't take anymore and I shoved Edward's gift to the furthest part of my mind, futilely pressing the heels of my hands into my eyes in an effort to purge the images. I would never get rid of them. They were burned into my brain now.

"Oh, Edward, what the fuck did you do!" I wasn't angry. I was shocked. I understood his intent, but his methods were horrific- cruel to the point of barbarism.

"I did the only thing I could. She wasn't going to let go, Kali, and -god help me- I wanted to stay, but I couldn't risk hurting her like that. I needed her to believe that I had moved on. If she thought that, she would move on too."

"I am assuming that your plan fell through?"

"I broke her, Kali. I broke her heart and her mind and her spirit when I left. You saw it from Jacob." I shuddered at the memory of Jacob's thoughts. Bella looked decimated in his memories, serving as a reminder - for him- of just how dangerous our kind was. When he read MY thoughts, he tried to stifle a sob...and failed miserably. Though no sound came from him, his whole body shuddered violently. Grief for the damage he had done.

"What happened after you left?" I pressed.

"I wandered, my family fought and pleaded and screamed at me to see reason, but I wouldn't. I left her to the mercy of two psychotic vampires and a pack of uncontrollable mutts." His final statement sparked a memory of the wolf, Jacob's, reaction to Bella's physical appearance.  
"One of the wolves cares for Bella." It wasn't a question, but I still expected some kind of answer.

"When I was gone, Bella sought solace and comfort. She found it in Jacob Black." My stomach rolled a little as I fought valiently to surpress either the growl, snarl or his that I know would be coming. "He took the pieces of her that I shattered and he started to put them together again, little by little. He put her back together after I broke her. He love her and he despises me."

"So? Bella love you."

"The bond those two have won't fade in time. She loves him." His head made contact with the steering wheel, as if the weight of his those last three words buckled him.

"She is _IN_ love with you, Edward. It's completely different." I reasoned. It took me a few seconds to get it, but I realised that him leaving, his superior, know-it-all mentality nearly killed them both. It was a cock-up of almost apocalyptic proportions.

"It was. I will never be strong enough to leave her again."

"You fucking better not or I will dismantle you." I growled.

"I couldn't even if I wanted to. It just feels like the more I try to keep her safe, the further I push her towards him." He sounded so defeated.

"Well, that was because he doesn't coddle her but, seeing as you aren't doing that anymore, there will be no more problems. Just remember, that she is physically older than you and a girl and therefore far more mature than you will ever be. You need to trust her judgment."

"With every fibre of my being, I hope you are right." He whispered, finally opening his eyes. His gaze fell onto my feet. I followed his line of sight and groaned. How in the fuck did I not notice that I had no shoes on. Next to my bare feet, right at the back of the foot-well, was a silver rectangle.

"Bella forgot her phone." I stated. Daft little human.

"You have no idea." Edward grumbled, reaching down and retrieving the phone. "How is she supposed to call and have me pick her up if she doesn't have a phone to do it on."

"Don't worry, Jacob will take her to her house and she will call you from there. Why don't we go to her house and wait on her there?" I suggested, briefly wondering about how to explain my bare feet to Bella.

Count on Edward to save the day."You have a pair of shoes under the back seat from our hunt last week if you want them." He pressed his foot down on the accelerator, apparently liking my idea quite a bit.

**_RING RING_**

"Bella?" Edward's phone had barely gone through its first ring coupling before he had it to his ear. "You left the phone- I'm sorry, did Jacob drive you home?"

"Yes, will you come and get me please?" She asked in a tight voice.

"We are on the way," He replied instantly. I wondered briefly if I should get out the car, but he turned to look at me, shaking his head. His brow furrowed as he asked Bella what was wrong.

"I want Carlisle to have a look at my hand? I think it's broken."I had to suppress yet another snarl, settling for a loud hiss that the engine noise covered nicely.

"What happened?" Edward's face went blank.

"I punched Jacob." She stated, rather stoically. I bit my tongue as the bubble of laughter that was building in my chest threatened to escape. Pride ripped through me like wildfire at the thought of Bella punching a werewolf in the face. Edward, however, did not look quite so happy.

"Good. I'm sorry you got hurt though."

"Wish I had hurt him," She growled. "I didn't do any damage at all."

"I can fix that." Edward suggested. I felt like crowing victoriously at his thoughts. I was already dreaming up ways to fix that fucking mutt.

"I was hoping you would say that." Bella sighed. THAT wasn't like her. She hated violence and the idea that she would willingly allow it was ridiculous. What the hell had that dog done to her? Edward asked her the question that was rattling around in my head.

"He kissed me."

I flew into the back of the passenger seat as Edward pressed the accelerator into the floor of the foot-well.

_"You are going to break it!"_ I thought. He wasn't listening to me anymore. We were only two streets away from Bella's house now.

"Is the dog still there?" Edward asked through clenched teeth. His hands gripped the steering wheel so hard, I was convinced he would be holding a handful of plastic dust if he didn't cool it.

"Yes," Bella answered. Good, Because I was going to do some serious damage this time.

"We are around the corner," Edward stated before the phone in his hand became a small silver plastic lump in his hand. _"I am going to rip that mutt's legs off"_ he threatened.

"I'll help." I offered. We took the corner at ninety miles an hour before screaming to a stop outside Bella's house. The stench of wolf was sickening and I had to fight the urge to gag. By the time I had opened the car door, Edward was already on the pavement and halfway up the path to Bella's house. When she opened the front door, my rage spiked as she cradled her visibly damaged hand to her chest. I shoved my hands into my jeans pockets to stop me punching a hole through anything... like a wall of a wolf or something.

"You must have put some force behind this." Despite his clear outrage, Edward still managed to sound proud of Bella. I had to admit that I was a little proud of her myself.

"As much as I have, not enough apparently." Bella grumbled as I moved forward, finally trusting myself not to kill anything in public.

"I'll take care of it," Edward promised.

"You deal with the mutt, I'll put Bella in the car." I thought, moving forward and taking Bella from him. The wolf stench increased as Jacob appeared at the front door and I instinctively hissed my displeasure. Edward looked more like a vampire than I had even seen him. The youthful, energetic light that usually danced in his eyes was gone and they were flat black and furious.

"Jacob."

Shit. I knew that tone. Even and smooth like silk and velvet and somehow, he sounded more dangerous than ever. He didn't need to shout, he just needed to speak.

"I don't want any fighting, do you understand?" Charlie Swan arrived at the front door, trying to diffuse a situation that he had no hope in hell in controlling. I could only hope beyond hope that he didn't get hurt in the crossfire if and when this thing kicked off. "I'll put on my badge if it makes the request more official."

Yeah, like that would help.

"That won't be necessary, sir," Edward said. He was barely keeping his shit together. The mutts thoughts must have been excruciating. Bella's head whipped around to look at her father.

"Why don't you arrest me day? I'm the one throwing punches." She suggested sarcastically.

"Jake, do you want to press charges?"

"Nah, I'll take the trade any day." Cocky fucker! I was going to enjoy turning him inside out. I shoved my hand a little further into my pocket.

"Dad, you have a baseball bat in your room, right?I want to borrow it." I couldn't help myself. I giggled. The idea of Bella hitting a home run right off this mongrels head was hysterical.

"Let's go get Carlisle to have a look at your hand," I suggested, quickly throwing out the American accent Charlie had heard before. "Before you wind up in a jail cell." I pulled her towards the Volvo and loaded her gently into the back of the car, winding the window down as I closed the door. "Punching werewolves, Bella?"

"He deserved it," She muttered. I touched her shoulder in support.

"I'm proud of ya, sis," I winked at her before turning back to the testosterone fest that was being displayed in her front yard. Charlie had disappeared and Edward and the mutt were now about twenty feet apart.

"I'm not going to kill you now, because it would upset Bella." Edward said, taking his tone back to the soft and smooth velvet. It was terrifying. Bella promptly huffed at his reasoning, but apparently the people next to the Volvo were being ignored right now. "But if you ever bring her back damaged again- and I don't care who's fault it is; I don't care if she merely trips or if a meteor falls out of the sky and hits her on the head- If you return her to me in less than the perfect condition I left her in, you _WILL_ be running on three legs. Do you understand that mongrel?"

Internally, I was dancing with Joy. I would help him take this complete waste of space out. Gladly.

"And if you ever kiss her again, I _WILL_ break your jaw for her."Edward promised, his tone sounding, if possible, even more deadly.

"What if she wants me to?" Jacob asked, arrogant as ever.

"Are you fucking delusional?" I hissed, but I was still being ignored.

"If that's what Bella wants, then I won't object." Edward shrugged his shoulders. I couldn't tell if this was nonchalance or an act. "You might want to wait for her to say it, rather than trust your interpretation of body language- but it's your face."

Jacob's grin had me leaving Bella in the car and stepping forward to stand next to Edward. I placed one hand on his shoulder as a sign of solidarity for my brother before turning to the fleabag who was polluting my oxygen supply.

"Jacob," I began, applying the same cadence to my voice that Edward had." I'm not entirely sure how the dynamic of your friendship with Bella works, but if you ever force any part of you onto her again - and I mean a handshake, a hug or anything else- I will rip the offending body part off and burn it in front of your face. _You will not force any part of you onto my sister again, or I will take great pleasure in tearing you to shreds."_ I snarled, turning and heading back to the car.

"I didn't force anything onto her, leech!"

"Her broken hand tells me something different, MUTT!" I quipped, before sliding into the drivers seat of the Volvo. I turned around to inspect Bella's hand. Two theoretical medical degrees should make quick work of this. "How are you feeling, Bella?"

"Irritated,"

I giggled once. "I meant physically,"

"It's swelling again,"

I lifted her injured hand away from her chest, I ignored the burn in my throat and allowed my cold hands to soothe the burn from the broken bones. I gently began to work my fingers on my free hand along the skin of her fingers and knuckles.

"I think something it definitely broken in here. One of your fingers maybe, but definitely one of your knuckles though." I said sadly.

"I've had worse," She admitted, causing me to shudder at the very thought of the kind of trouble she could get herself into. She ignored my discomfort and focused on the two men outside.

"Yes, may the best _MAN_ win," Jacob sneered.

"Sounds about right, _pup_." Edward growled before turning around and heading towards us.

"_Edward, get in the back with Bella, I'll drive."_ I thought, turning the engine over.

"Thanks," He muttered, before climbing in next to Bella and I was rocketing down the street before he even had the door closed. I wanted to get Bella to Carlisle and have her hand looked over and strapped up. More than that, I wanted to get Bella away from the complete monster standing on her porch.

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_**Author note - Ok, so that was the longest chapter I had done yet. **_

_**I was a little sketchy about Edward breaking down a little bit, so I need some opinions. I have an idea further down the line that might work, but your response to this one will help me decide if I want to put it in.**_

_**Thanks for taking the time to read my story and if you like it, please review. The reviews make me smile.**_

_**Next Chapter - Graduating Pains.**_


	21. Graduating Pains

_**Author note- Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. It was a rough one to writes, but we got through it together. **_

_**Thanks to Content1 for her continued help and support. You are like the eighth wonder of the frickin' world or something!**_

_**This chapter brings us nicely through graduation and the after-party... but knowing our Kali and the Cullens, things never go that smoothly. **_

_**Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight. I own a Copy of S. Darko in which Jackson Rathbone says the word 'Cocktease'. I actually drooled. **_

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_**Chapter 20**_

_**Graduating pains**_

Bella's hand was broken. Well, one of her knuckles were broken and was now sporting a handsome dark blue brace. I wasn't allowed to go after the fleabag that hurt her; Esme threatened to ground me if I did and suggested that focusing on the final exams at school would be a more prudent use of my time. The hazy fury that had clouded over my head lifted at her suggestion, for no other reason than her idea was hilarious. Like I would need to worry about that...

Turns out, I didn't have to worry about it at all. The finals were a breeze. I literally had the answers to the question on the papers within maybe three minutes, then spent the rest of the time either pretending to write at human speed or conversing silently with Edward. I had, during the last exam, told him that I would never be repeating this torture again. If I had any say in it, I would never go near another high school again. I only had two more days of this shit then I was free forever.

Technically, I had to get through the last two days of school, survive graduation, live through Alice's party, take out a newborn army and then destroy Victoria and then I could be an adult. I had to be a student, a teenager, a soldier and an executioner before I could enjoy my family.

"Kali, wanna play ball outside with Jazz and me?" Emmett was standing at the back door with my other brother, who was twirling a reinforced, leather American football in his hands. I sighed loudly. Normally, I would relish the opportunity, but I was under strict orders today not to ruin my outfit. Alice had been insufferable. Seeing as today was graduation, I would need three outfits today and I was only responsible for one of them. The outfit that I was currently wearing was all Alice. That was evident from the long skirt she had shoved me it. The long purple gypsy skirt brushed the floor and the black tank-top and jacket on top hugged around my waist, showing off all the best bits of me. I had to admit, I did look good. I just HATED skirts.

"Em, Alice will kill me if I get this outfit dirty. Plus, Esme and I are leaving in two minutes. Besides, don't you have tables and chairs to set up?" I teased, pointing to the heap of folded furniture on the front porch.

"Come on, Kali. It will only take a couple of minutes to do that ad everything else has been done!"

"Yeah, because Alice and I did it all last night, so you better set those up properly or it won't be Alice you will have to worry about." I reminded them. The pair of them fucked off last night in my Audi doing god knows what while Alice and Rosalie were on guard duty at Bella's house. Carlisle was at the hospital and Edward at Bella's. Esme had given me a crash course in rigging up the equivalent of a festival sound system, moving furniture, hanging drapes and preparing toxic waste for the humans. If I thought Alice was bad with clothes, she was like Hitler on crack when it came to parties.

"Kali, are you ready to go, dear?" Esme asked, descending the stairs, appearing as a vision in blue. Her periwinkle, knee-length office dress was cinched in at the waist by a thin, royal blue belt that matched her high-heeled court shoes and the bolero that hugged her delicate shoulders and fell to just above the belt on her dress. She looked glorious.

"Yep, just a second, Esme." I grabbed the hideously yellow graduation cap and gown and stood up off the couch. I silently enjoyed the swishing movement of the skirt I was wearing. It tickled the exposed skin of my legs under it. Thank God Alice wasn't here to witness my deliberate sashaying from side to side or she would hunt me down and strap me into skirts constantly. Esme led the way outside and towards my MX-5. I was allowed to take my 'special car' today because it was graduation. It was just a pity I couldn't take the Zonda. Now that was a special car. As I neared the car, Emmett bounded onto the front porch, wishing me luck and waving us off only to collapse in a heap laughing as I pull on my graduation robe. The sickly yellow clashes spectacularly with the metallic purple of the car. As I opened the door, I stuff the the cap on top of my copper curls and Emmett guffawed so loudly, I swear he was going to crack a rib. I frowned, focusing on Jasper's gift and in two seconds had him on his knees, weeping like a five year old girl with scraped knees.

"_Damn it, Kali,"_ he growled in between sobs. Esme giggled as she climbed into the drivers side of the car.

"Emmett, next time you laugh at me, I will have you pouting in front of a mirror, asking Carlisle if your jeans make you look fat." I promised before climbing into the car, making sure not to catch my skirt or my custard disaster.

"Kali, that wasn't very nice," Esme chided as she started the car. "Next time, just make him feel bored and he will bother someone else."

"Excuse me?" Did she just give me permission to harass and annoy her son?

"What?" She beamed innocently, "Emmett like to tease people and it does him good to be on the receiving end once in a while.." I just shook my head and watched the world go by outside the car.

The heavy clouds that hung low in the sky threatened rain that never came. It was humid, dull and perfect for a vampire graduation. We made our way to the high school, traffic slowing us considerably, although no more so than Esme's driving. We did, however, manage to arrive and find a parking spot next to the police cruiser of one Chief Swan. At least Edward and Bella were here. The evil Pixie had been M.I.A. since she had stuffed me into this outfit. No-one had seen her and no-one had a clue where she was.

"How long do these things last anyways?" I asked as I got out of the car and straightened my outfit.

"It should only be a couple of hours, dear. Carlisle was sorry that he was missing this one." Esme sighed.

"You sure?" I asked, nodding towards the car park and a rather familiar black Mercedes that was parking up next to my car. When he finally got himself out of the car, he looked like he was attending a red-carpet event. His light blue tie was the exact colour of Esme's dress and it stood out spectacularly against the black shirt and charcoal grey suit he was wearing. I had a feeling that Alice had had a hand in dressing him too. I felt the heartbeats of several mothers stutter severely as he walked past them, leaving a trail of swooning women in his wake. I laughed at their reactions just as he reached for Esme.

"Hey Uncle Heart-throb," I teased, waggling my eyebrows at him from under my canary cap.

His eyes rolled. "I'm used to it," he shrugged, grabbing Esme's hand.

"Ego, much?" I laughed, poking him in the arm. He slung his free arm over my shoulder and pulled me to the back of the gym where the assembled crown looked like a bowl of custard. The sea of moving yellow looked gross and also, slightly hypnotic. I spotted Bella and Edward but still no Alice. Where the hell was that pixie?

I gave Carlisle and Esme a quick hug and weaved my way through the custard people to get to my family. That was easier said than done. Nearly two hundred people were squeezed into this small space. Students, parents and teachers all with increased heartbeats and elevated blood pressures and running higher than usual temperatures due to the excitement. My usually impeccable control was being seriously tested. Human blood didn't call to me the way it should due to my 'indiscretion' with my singer, but this was testing. the sound of the hearts and the feel of the pulse and heat was setting my throat and mouth on fire. I instinctively held my breath and locked my muscles in place.

"Kali, are you alright?" Edward asked, appearing by my side and placing a hand in the small of my back. Bella was gripping his hand with her left one. Her right hand was still encased in a brace that clashed miserably with her gown. The effect was nearly as impressive as that with my car.

_"Too many heartbeats,"_ I thought, refusing to even exhale in case the scent of human tickled me.

"You are doing just fine," he said quietly.

_"Don't need a pep-talk, man. Just need some air."_ I silently replied.

"Hold your breath," He suggested. I felt like hitting him.

_"I'll try to remember that, professor,"_ I thought sarcastically. _"Where's Alice?"_ Edward shrugged and Bella went pillar box red, which added nicely to the forest fire that was currently ravaging my throat. I continued to hold my breath, not really wanting to kill anyone today.

_"Edward, why is Alice A.W.O.L. and Bella blushing like a beetroot?"_ I thought.

"I don't know and I don't know."

Once Bella's face cooled down a little, I trusted myself to try and breathe again. I scrunched my nose a couple of times to get some normal feeling back into it. Holding ones breath while immortal, while not fatal, is remarkably uncomfortable.

"Mr. and Miss Cullen? Move up to the front." Mr. Varner barked, trying to get the canary masses into some kind of order and under control. Edward gave Bella a quick hug and a kiss, leading the way to the front of the huddle where we stood behind Tyler Crowley.

_"Edward, what the hell is going on?"_ I thought.

"I don't know," He admitted. "Alice is missing and Bella is hiding something from me." He seemed disappointed at the mere thought.

_"Hm, Cullen manages to pull off the yellow. Nice... I'll have to talk to her at the party and see about getting that robe off of her..." _Tyler's mental fantasizing was completely disgusting. To see my own body tangled around his was nothing short of monstrous. Edward was almost vibrating with the effort it took not to laugh. I whipped my head around to catch him staring appreciatively at my behind. I let out a very low growl and felt my eyes flash with anger.

"Kali, not now," Edward whispered, grabbing one of my arms to stop me tearing one of Tyler's off. The natural instinct that humans have in reaction to my kind kicked in for Tyler. He reeked of fear. "Was that necessary?"

"His mind is a fucking cesspit. I can think of only one person who's mind is worse than his and I truly dread to think... God! Teenage boys are pigs!" I grumbled. Edward, never letting go of my arm, pulled forward as the people in front started to move. We sat in our designated seats, noticing that the Evil Fairy still wasn't here.

"When she turns up, I am going to kill her for making me wear a skirt." I threatened. "I mean, what's the point in insisting if you aren't here to witness it?"

"I think you look lovely," He offered.

"I wasn't fishing for compliments, Edward,"

"It's nice to give them all the same."

I rolled my eyes and started scanning for Alice's thoughts. I struggled against the initial roar of proud parents, excited students and bored teachers before I heard one mind I really didn't want to.

"Bella looks so beautiful. God, I love that girl!" I fought back the snarl in my chest as I heard Jacob Black's mind. I felt Edward stiffen beside me as he heard him too.

"We can deal with the fleabag later," I whispered. Edward's infinitesimal nod gave me enough reassurance that he wouldn't kill Jacob on the spot so I started to scan again; only to be interrupted by the beginning of the graduation ceremony.

Once the opening address and speeches were out of the way, it was certificate time. Seeing as the pixie was still absent, I murmured to Edward that we should pick up her diploma. He nodded again, laughing when I promised to beat her around the head with it when I found her and we waited while all the A's and B's received their certificates. As principle Green called Alice's name, she literally appeared out of nowhere. I focused on her mind only to be greeted by a rather spectacular rendition of The Battle Hymn Of The Republic...in Arabic.

"What the fuck is she doing?" I hissed as Edward's face bore the confusion I felt.

"Edward Cullen." Mr. Green called. Edward stood and got in line behind Alie, focusing furiously on her mind, waiting for her to slip.

"Kali Douglas-Cullen." I rolled my eyes and stepped into line behind my brother. As Alice got to the front of the queue, she finished her song. I paused, waiting for the slip but it didn't come.

"What language now? Hm... Korean sign language!" She thought before proceeding to bless us with the Battle hymn again. I rumbled a low growl as Edward accepted his diploma. I followed after him, accepting my own and moving to stand next to him with the rest of the graduates. I shot a look to Carlisle and Esme who looked like they might actually burst with Pride. By the time I looked back to Edward, Alice had vanished again.

"_Jesus Christ! Where the hell has she fucked off to now?_" I complained.

"We will deal with it," Edward promised. "The more pressing question is why Bella looks guilty." It was true- She looked like she had killed someone's cat. Although, I did detect a hint of smugness in him demeanor when she saw us looking for Alice. Realization hit me like a slap in the face.

"Your human is in on it." I whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"Look at her, Edward," I said, nodding towards Bella as Mr Green hit the G's. "She looks so bloody smug right now. She knows what Alice is keeping from us."

"Hmm..." Edward fell silent as he contemplated this. We remained silent as the rest of the names were announced. When Bella's name was called, I applauded her name, as did Carlisle, Esme and Charlie. The mutt howled like an idiot and I felt my eyes roll again. As the closing speeches were made and the graduating class was recognised, I felt a wave of relief. I would _never_ be doing this again. High school sucked.

Edward chuckled and nudged my ribs. "Remember and throw your cap," he reminded me. I nodded and took it off my head, remembering not to send the damn thing into orbit. When it landed, I retrieved it from the ground and moved towards Carlisle and Esme.

"Congratulations, dear," Esme crowed, hugging me. We really didn't have time for pleasantries right now. Something was wrong.

"Thanks, Esme. Listen, we have to get to the car. Edward will meet us in a second so we can go back to the house."

"What's wrong?" Carlisle asked immediately, his smile vanishing.

"Alice knows or has seen something. She is blocking Edward and I right now, so we need to go and find her."

"We will leave right away," Esme announced, heading towards my car.

"Esme, I will take Edward back. You go with Carlisle and we will meet you at the house." Edward was heading in our direction with the most horrific expression on his face. If his face was anything to go by, he wasn't making it to the car without killing something. "You guys go, I'll call you from the car." I suggested to the 'adults', watching as they shot off towards the Mercedes.

"Edward," I said, slowly walking towards him. "Don't talk, just let me see." I focused on Edward's and Alice's gifts. I needed to see everything. I grabbed a hold of his elbow, towing him towards the car as I focused on their gifts more than I ever had. He began to replay his and Bella's conversation in his mind. I watched completely horror struck. Alice had visited Bella before graduation to deliver a new blouse for her to wear. After the gift was tossed onto Bella's bed, Alice apologised for her lack of vision. I knew she had been feeling bad about it, but I never thought it was something she should apologise for. She had said that Bella's new blouse was just a small token to make up for not seeing the stranger in her room and whatever was going on in Seattle. Bella's mouth fell open as realisation hit her. The two were connected.

My brain seared as I closed the door on my car. I clutched handfuls of hair on either side of my hair, trying not to scream out in pain. I doubled over until my forehead touched my knees, praying for the pain to stop or my head to explode from the pressure.

"Kali?" Edward's voice was distant but urgent with worry. "Kali!"

"Edward," I whispered, "What's happening to me?" I groaned as the pressure increased and I began to rock backwards and forwards.

"Kali, focus on my voice,"

"I can't. Fuck! It hurts!"

"Kali, just focus. Just the voice." Edward pleaded, nearly ripping my door off its hinges to get to me. "I think you forced a vision."

"_What the hell are you talking about?_"

"Bella only told me the short version of what is happening. I think you got the full version." The fire in my head began to recede, allowing me to unwrap the hair from around my hands and lean back into the seat.

"Alice see's the future, Edward. Not the past." I groaned as my head made contact with the headrest, sending another burst of heat through my head.

"I think you saw Alice recounting the story later. Your outfit is different in the vision." How the hell did he notice that but I didn't? "Are you alright?"

"My head is killing me. Can you drive Edward?" I need to see Carlisle."

"Of course, hold on,"

He slipped a hand under my knees and one behind my back, lifting my gently to his chest. Leaning forward, he placed me carefully into the passenger seat. I lifted my legs so that my feet were on the cushion of the seat and rested my head on my knees, wrapping my arms around my shins. Edward climbed into the passenger seat and started the engine, gunning it out of the car park. Thankfully, Chief Swan was still amongst the canary people to notice the highly illegal speed that Edward was now going.

He stroked my back the whole way home in an effort to comfort me. I was pretty sure I needed Jasper, though. I was sure that he could help me control the pain long enough for me to focus on shoving away Alice and Edward's gifts. My head still burned and felt over-crowded. Every time the car stopped at a set of traffic lights, my head was blazing with the thoughts of others. It was agony.

Thankfully, Carlisle's car was parked outside the garage when we arrived at the house. "Thank god!" Edward breathed, shutting off the engine. "Can you come outside for a second please, Carlisle?" he said in a tone that wouldn't awaken suspicions. I raised my head off of my knees long enough to see Carlisle appear like an apparition in the doorway of the house. He had lost his suit jacket and his tie and he still managed to look like he had stepped out of a movie premiere. Although his face was worried and his mind was troubled, he still managed to look like a fucking angel. He shot towards the car as I lowered my pounding head back to my knees.

"Edward? Kali? what's the matter?" I heard both the doctor and the father come through in his voice. it was a bizarre combination. Edward quickly filled him in on what happened and what was happening now. After a brief diagnosis of my condition from Edward, Carlisle called on Emmett to help me inside. Emmett, who turned up next to my car covered in paper streamers and popped balloons, leaned down and helped me out of the car, offering me a hand to hold myself steady. Didn't really work out that way. I think I must have looked worse than I thought, because he quickly abandoned the idea of allowing me to walk by myself and lifted me clean off the ground. With more gentility than I would have thought possible from him, Emmett had me up the stairs and into Carlisle's study.

"You alright, sis?" Emmett asked, watching as I curled myself into a tight ball on Carlisle's sofa.

"Alice's gift broke my head." I said, trying not to move. Emmett looked confused but shrugged it off.

"Can I get you anything?"

"Yeah, dig the pixie out of whatever pile of balloons and party banners she is hiding herself under and bring her arse up here!"

* * *

"It's not my fault!" Alice chimed, shoving her hands onto her tiny hips.

"You fucking kept it from us, Alice! We needed to know!"

"What good would it have done? Really?"

"Well, let's see. We would have known what was coming. We would be better prepared. We could have stopped Edward from having an episode in the middle of Forks High school car park. Oh, and we would have prevented my mind-splitting headache- which, by the way, feels like someone has poured liquid fire into my fucking brain!" As my anger increased, so did the pain and I winced, trying to calm myself.

"Okay, I'll give you that. But I saw that if I told you before the party, none of us would have went to graduation. It would have raised suspicions." She proclaimed, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Hmm... raised suspicions are bad...But not nearly as bad as being informed via excruciating vision that my sister was being hunted by an army of rabid newborns!" I felt calming waves break over me as I struggled to contain myself. "Thanks Jasper," I muttered as I stood up. Carlisle ghosted to my side to offer his assistance but was quickly shooed away. "I'm fine, Carlisle. I just need to get a shower and get changed." Alice's eyes fogged over and cleared within a second.

"You are going to look fabulous tonight." She offered. While clearly an attempt at buttering me up, I felt ridiculous about the fact that it worked. I sighed, making a snap decision, waiting for her to get the information I was hoping she would see and for her to start jumping up and down on the spot. Three...two... one...

"Oh, Kali, of course I will! Come on, let's get going! Edward, go and get Bella" Alice was directing traffic as I left the room. I giggled a little when I heard everyone following her instructions in order to avoid major incident. It was a sound plan assuming that everyone involved wanted to survive until the end of the party tonight. She accompanied me to my room where my party outfit was laying on my bed- right down the the hairclips that Alice had previously suggested.

I quickly jumped into the shower, being careful not to get my hair wet as per Alice's shouted advice as I stepped under the warm spray. Once I was out from under the warm water, I quickly dried off and threw on some underwear. I didn't bother with a bra because, honestly, there was no point. Gravity doesn't affect anything in that area and my ensemble for tonight would look ridiculous with bra straps sticking out of the top of it. I squeezed myself into my new leather trousers that Alice had purchased during our 'Shopping Battle' when I had first arrived here. While I zipped myself up, Alice carefully prepared my top.

Other than my cars, I had two indulgences. The first was my music and instruments. The second was corsets. I had discovered that my body had just enough give in it to allow me to wear steel-boned corsets, giving my waist and bust a little more definition without damaging the corset itself. I owned way too many to constantly move around with me, choosing to tote only my favourites from place to place. The one I had chosen to wear tonight was one of my all-time favourite pieces. It consisted of a very strong silk brocade in the more gorgeous regal purple. The fabric was covered in tiny black embroidered flowers and vines, twisting their way through the material until it came to the two front panels. These were set, one on either side of the front clasps and were jet black.

I allowed Alice to strap me in and cinch in the waist for me. Assuming that, being a seventy year old fashionista, she would know what she was doing and be careful with it. I was, thankfully, correct and she had me laced up quickly and without incident. Taking two strands of hair from next to my face, she pulled them back and pinned them to the back of my head with Esme's clips, allowing my copper curls to spill down my back towards the waistband of my trousers. I was pleasantly surprised to notice that the flowers on the clips matched the flowers in the brocade perfectly. After a quick application of unnecessary make-up, Alice tossed me some purple high-heeled boots and declared me good to go. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror as I exited the room and was pleased that I could agree with her assessment as she ushered me downstairs.

"Well, DAMN!" Emmett declared as I hit the bottom step.

"Emmett, I am your sister and you need to stop thinking whatever you are thinking." I slipped the boots onto my feet and sighed whenever I noticed Emmett's eyes bugging out of his head. Oh yeah... bending forward in a bust enhancing corset...

"If you stop thinking whatever you are thinking right now, I will buy Rosalie ten outfits like this in all different colours," I offered. This seemed to distract him. His eyes went out of focus and he smiled to himself. I knew he would be imagining Rosalie in an outfit just like this one.

"For God sake, Emmett," Jasper groaned. He walked into the living room from the kitchen, staggering a little under the weight of the lust that Emmett was projecting. Hell, I wasn't channeling Jasper's gift and even I could feel it. I just laughed as I heard Chief Swan's police cruiser turn off of the highway and onto the drive. Moving slowly, I went to the kitchen to help my mother. Esme had been preparing toxic waste since before the ceremony. I assumed it would all be edible for the humans but it smelled vile. I began cutting up the last of the bread and wondered how in the hell I was supposed to get the smell off of my hands.

"Alcohol rubs will take the smell off once you are finished, dear," Esme suggested, stifling a giggle at the expression on my face as I studied my sullied hands. I nodded once and finished up. I could hear Bella and Edward on the porch as I scrubbed my wretched hands. I moved back into the living room just as the lovebirds made it across the threshold. Bella froze instantly and shook her head when she surveyed the 'Cullen Club' scene before her.

"Unbelievable," She muttered. Edward just shrugged his shoulders and declared that Alice would be Alice. I stepped out of the shadows of the kitchen door and into the pulsing red and purple lights. I took a second to notice that my skin looked slightly wrong under the lights. The surface looked fine, but underneath it looked mottled, grey and almost stone-like. It was weird.

"Edward!" Alice called. She was situated behind one of the huge speakers I had recently purchased. and was surrounded by CD's. Literally, hundreds of them in piles all around her. She was pointing to two particularly high piles. "I need your advice. Should we give them familiar and comforting or educate their musical taste?"

"Keep it comforting," Edward suggested. "You can only lead the horse to water." Alice nodded seriously and began to move the larger pile of CD's into a large box. As I come forward to help her, I noticed that she had changed her outfit while I was helping in the kitchen. Her red, sleeveless top and leather trousers looked astonishing on her tiny frame. Bella must have noticed the outfit changed because she gawped at us before looking at her own clothes.

!"I think I'm under-dressed," She grumbled, looking down at her pretty blue blouse and khaki skirt. my eyes rolled all on their own when Edward disagreed with her.

"You're perfect,"

"You'll do," Alice concluded.

"You know, Bella," I mused, scanning her up and down. "If you want, we can go and pick you something out of my wardrobe. I have a stunning blue corset upstairs that would look extraordinary against your skin. UI have the matching skirt for it too which should just about hit the floor and cover the fact that you can't wear high heels." I focused as Edward's eyes widened at the images I was producing in my head of Bella in the outfit I had suggested. I saw just how an outfit like that one Bella would compromise his impeccable self-control. I couldn't stop the peels of laughter that escaped me as Edward dropped his eyes to the floor. I swear, if he had been able to blush, he would have been bright enough to be able to guide ships home on a foggy night.

"Kali, we are going to see Jasper and Carlisle," Edward stated in an obvious attempt to deflect the conversation onto less embarrassing topics. "Would you like to join us?"

"Nah, I'll stay with Alice. I got the jist of what you guys will be talking about earlier."

"You feeling any better?" Edward asked as he took a step forward.

"You were sick?" Bella looked worried for me. Every day gave me another reason to love this girl just a little bit more.

"Yeah, I felt weird earlier but I am alright now, though," I answered both of their questions at once and flitted to help Alice with the CD boxes.

It wasn't long before the sound of unfamiliar tyres on the driveway reached us and it was time to be a human again. Alice cranked the music and turned down the main lights, leaving only the recently purchased club lights pulsating and shimmering. She danced to the doorway and opened it as the bell rang. A mini-van full of Bella's friends all arrived at once, either too nervous or too scared to come on their own. I placed a welcoming smile on my face and prepared myself for playing hostess for the night.

The humans filed into the room and I watched the look on their faces. It was priceless. Their faces and thoughts were a perfect mix of shock, awe and envy. Alice would be gloating for fucking weeks. As more humans turned up, the part got underway. Bella received the most attention because under the club lights, the rest of the Cullen brood just looked wrong. Unfortunately for the Cullen females, it didn't stop the male attention.

_"Damn! Those Cullen girls look amazing! Kali is so hot, I should totally ask her out!"_ Mental images of my body under his made my stomach churn. Mike fucking Newton! I danced my way over to the food table and stood next to my big brother, slinging an arm around his waist.

"Hey, Emmett, do me a favour, will ya?" I said in a voice too low for any human to pick up. "When Newton comes over here, give him a fright for me? The boy's mind is fucking disgusting!"

"You got it, sis."

I almost fell over laughing. I had to hold onto Emmett's arm to stop myself from collapsing into the crap that the humans were eating. As Mike approached, Emmett threw a huge arm around my shoulders and flashed his razor-sharp teeth in a toothy grin at Mike, causing him to stumble back several feet before turning and crashing into Ben Cheney.

"Thanks, Em. I owe ya one."

"Hey, no-one thinks about my little sister in a less than gentlemanly fashion."

"Hold on a second. _YOU_ though about your little sister in a less than gentlemanly fashion." I reminded him, slapping the back of his head.

"Big brother privileges." He smirked.

"That's really creepy, you know that?"

I was moving away from hi when my head started to hurt again. It was a slow, building burn that settled into the back of my head and pulsed. "Oh god,...Emmett, get me to Carlisle, NOW!" He wasted no time in ushering me up the stairs at near human speed and into Carlisle and Esme's bedroom. They were sitting on the love seat at the foot of their bed when Emmett practically took the door of its hinges. He barely had the aforementioned door closed before my head exploded.

Images barreled through my brain as I cried out in agony. Vampires- a lot of vampires passing around a red shirt as they stood around in a basement. It was Bella's shirt. They were coming for her now. Twenty-odd vampires were coming to Forks for Bella. One of them said four days.

I was barely aware of the fact that I was falling before Emmett's arms locked around my waist, holding me up. I shook my blistering head and instantly regretted it. I tried desperately to focus on something, anything else but the pain but I couldn't find anything to hold onto. My hands gripped at my hair.

"Kali, focus on my voice," Edward sounded distant again. I hadn't even heard him enter the room. I felt his hands on my face as I fought back the scream that was beginning to build in my throat.

"Make it stop!" I yelled. "Make it fucking stop!"

"Kali, focus on my voice. Just my voice!" He urged as Emmett supported me. I felt a wave of lethargy and peace hit me with the force of a shotgun round, allowing me to follow his simple instructions.

"Oh," I gasped as I slumped into Emmett's iron grip. I was moved to the love seat where I tried to curl myself into a ball again but was hindered by my clothes. "Fucking corset." I grumbled as I reached for the corset strings at the back.

"Esme, could you please get Kali a shirt?" Edward said softly, staring at my twisted face. "She needs to get the corset off." I was quickly passed a shirt that smelled strongly of Esme. She unlaced my corset and undid the clasps at the front before peeling it off of me. The boys all turned in unison and faced the opposite way. To be honest, at that precise moment I could have given a shit about modest. I just wanted to curl into the fetal position and wait for the pain to subside.

"It will bother you later, Kali," Edward noted as he stared studiously at the wall in front of him. Shifting my gaze, I noticed that Emmett and Carlisle had found something in the wood grain utterly rapturous. Esme quickly slipped the shirt over my head and guiding my arms into the correct wholes before allowing me to flop over like a fish and curl into the back of her love seat. She began to rub slow circles into my back as Carlisle turned around to feel my head.

"What happened?" He asked, his fingers pressed into the temples of my head. Yeah, like THAT would work...

"Edward, a little help?" I pleaded quietly. He nodded once and I replayed everything that I had seen during my latest brain burning episode. He, in turn, relayed that information to the others.

"Alice needs me. She saw what you did," Edward announced and was out of the door in a flash. Esme knelt on the floor next to me and Carlisle still had his hands working around my head. I heard Emmett shift uncomfortably next to the door when the pain stopped instantly.

"It's gone," I whispered, shock pouring out of me. "It's stopped hurting."I sat up experimentally, shaking my head a little. I breathed in a huge sigh of relief and instantly regretted it. I gagged and spluttered. Esme had her hand on my back again as Emmett's nose wrinkled in disgust. "I think I found my pain-killer," I muttered. "There is a wolf here." Carlisle's eyes rolled and Emmett hissed softly.

"Emmett, in my room, there is a black bra and purple vest top on the chest of drawers at the bottom of my bed. Could you bring them to me, please?" He vanished instantly and I stood up, whipping the shirt Esme had given me back over my head. Carlisle had barely enough time to register what I was doing and spin around before I was exposed to him. I darted to the vanity table and grabbed one of Esme's hairbands. Gathering the loose curls in my hands, I secured them to the nape of my neck in a pony tail. When Emmett rushed back into the room, I turned to take my clothes from him. His eyes bugged and then slammed shut before he did a complete about turn and faced the door again.

"Jesus, Kali! Little warning next time?" He groaned.

"They are boobs, Emmett. Every girl has them," Esme chuckled in spite of her son's discomfort as I quickly dressed myself. I tapped both him and Carlisle on the shoulder when I was decent, allowing them to face us. Alice, Edward, Rosalie and Jasper came into the room then. Alice looked at me apologetically. Her face was paler than usual, if that was possible as Jasper directed her to the seat that I had just vacated.

"Thanks for the pain killer earlier, Jazz,"

"Don't mention it," He drawled. "You alright?"

"My head doesn't hurt right now. I think that may have something to do with the stray dog downstairs thought."

"Did it hurt less this time?" Carlisle asked.

"Hard to tell. I'm more worried about the fact that twenty-odd vampires are coming to Forks in four days to find Bella."

"The numbers are too high." Jasper lamented. "We haven't found help yet," I didn't like the odds any more than he did but our time was up. They weren't waiting for us in Seattle any more.

"They are coming here," Alice mumbled. Her tiny features contorted with misery. "What are we going to do?"

"Fight school," I stated. " I know enough about battling our kind that I should be able to train you. Jasper?" I looked at my brother who seemed to be a million miles away. "Jazz?"

"I will show you how to defeat the newborns," He said flatly. I didn't need to be psychic, telepathic or empathic to know he didn't relish the idea of revisiting his past like that. I didn't either, but we didn't have a choice.

"We need to tell Bella," Carlisle suggested quietly.

"I'll go and get her," I said, making for the door with Alice hot n my spiked purple heels. We found Bella quite quickly. She was backed up against a wall with three Quileute pups bearing down on her like a group of stalkers. A low growl built in my chest and bubbled up my throat, rattling my teeth. I ghosted my way over to Bella, not bothering with the human pretenses and took a hold of her elbow. The mutts leaned away from us as Alice took Bella by her other arm and we moved to lead her to the stairs.

"We need to talk to you," Alice whispered in her ear before giving her arm a gentle tug in the direction of the stairs. Jacob threw a hand out to touch the wall, which blocked our way.

"Hey, not so fast," His hand pressed further into the wall. Alice's eyes widened with surprise while mines narrowed with the effort of controlling my steadily increasing anger.

Alice's voice was clear, even over the music of the party. "Excuse me?"

"Move your hand, now." I threatened, my free hand closing into a fist.

"Tell us what's going on!" He growled.

"Fuck off!" I growled back, trying to keep calm and failing miserably. Too many witnesses. Too many witnesses. I repeated that little mantra in my head over and over as an attempt to ease my tendency towards rash behaviour. I heard Jasper approach, descending from the staircase. His eyes found mine and his expression changed instantly. He went from careful nonchalance to flat-out, life destroying fury. An emotion so strong that it twisted his features into a mask that even I found terrifying. He glared at Jacob's arm wordlessly. As the wolf clocked Jasper's mood, he slowly pulled his arm back. It was a good idea on the mutt's part. It was taking all of my energy and concentration to not rip his arm off and beat his little pound-puppy friends to death with it.

"We have a right to know," Jacob muttered, his glare trained on Alice. Jasper stood between his mate and the wolf, never losing his violent mask. I let go of Bella's arm and stood by his side, blocking her from view. The only part of her that was visible was her head. Bella mumbled something about a party but I couldn't help ignoring her. This was about something more important than not being seen. This was about keeping the whole family as safe and as informed as possible and we couldn't do that if we hung around with wolves.

"It's okay, Jasper. I think he has a point," Alice decreed thoughtfully.

"What did you see, Alice?" Bella asked. Her heart-rate increasing in direct correlation with her state of panic.

"The decision's been made,"

"You are going to Seattle?"

"No."

"They are coming here?" Bella choked. Her pule sky-rocketed.

"Yes,"

"For?"

"Once carried your red shirt," Alice concluded.

"I have to go. I have to get out of here," Bella was nearing hysteria now. Jasper fired off a quick blitz of calm, but in her panicked stated, it only really took the edge off.

"That won't help." I said, turning my head to face her. "They will come here first,"

"Hold it!" Jacob ordered. "What's coming?"

"Our kind," I stated. "Lots of them."

"Why?"

"For Bella. That's all we know." Alice said, finally trying to diffuse what was quickly becoming an all-too combustible situation.

"There are too many for you?" One of the other Quileutes asked. Jasper was not impressed.

"We have a few advantages, Dog. It will be an even fight" I tried, in spite of the pain I knew I would suffer to see the outcome of the newborn fight, but I kept coming up blank.

"No," Jacob grinned, "It WON'T be even." The realisation hit me hard and I couldn't help but laugh. Bella looked at me like I had lost my mind. To be honest, I wasn't ruling that possibility out, but if the wolves were offering their assistance...

"Excellent!" Alice hissed! I smiled widely. As much as I didn't trust them, their whole being was designed to kill our kind. We were in pretty dire straits so I wasn't going to be elitist about this. "Everything just disappeared." Alice said, still smiling. "That's inconvenient but, all things considered, I'll take it."

"I'm not about to be picky," I said. "You're on." I felt myself grin along with Alice and the wolf.

"We will have to co-ordinate." Jacob noted. "It won't be easy for us. Still, this is more our job than yours."

"I wouldn't go that far," I argued. "But we need the help."

"Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! " Bella looked completely confused and was struggling to keep up with us. "Co-ordinate?"

"You didn't really think you would keep us out of this, did ya?" Jacob laughed.

"You _ARE_ staying out of this!" She demanded. "Alice, tell them no! They'll get killed!" Jacob and his two wolf friends laughed loudly. My eyes rolled and I focused on Bella.

"Separately, we could all get killed. Together-"

"It'll be no problem." Alice and Jacob concluded at the same time.

"How many?" The third Quileute boy asked. Bella began to protest again and was roundly ignored again.

"It changes. Twenty-one today but the numbers keep going down." Alice offered.

"Why?"

"Long story and this really isn't the place for it,"

"Later tonight?"

"Yes," Jasper said, addressing the wolf in a more courteous manner than before. "We were already planning a strategic meeting. You will need some instruction." The wolves looked unimpressed with that assessment, but wisely held their tongues. Jazz just continued as if he didn't notice their consternation. "This will be odd. I never considered working together. This has to be a first." I lost focus mid-sentence. My head was starting to hurt again.

"No doubt about that," Jacob agreed.

"Sorry to interrupt here, but there are five vampires upstairs right now who need to know what is going on and I think I need to lie down... You guys hammer out the details and I will see you later." I moved away from the wolves and headed for the stairs. Taking the steps two at a time, I considered the idea of seven mature vampires and all of the Quileute wolves on one side of a battlefield. The thought was absurd, but that was what we had. I didn't want to allow myself to hope, but there it was, growing in my chest. I realised... We could win this.

* * *

**_Author note- Yes, I know. Another long one. Hopefully I will be able to maintain this length of chapter and finish this thing quicker! =P_**

**_Thanks again for the reads and reviews. Please feel free to let me know what you think. I love and appreciate every comment or message I receive. _**

**_Next chapter takes us to fight school! Hope you stick around for it. _**

**_Kalika87 (Amanda)_**


	22. Combat Training

_**Author Note- Thanks to all who read and reviewed the last chapter. I love and appreciate every one of them and they make me want to get better at this so you will love it even more. **_

_**Real life kicked me right up the arse again last week, so this chapter has been delayed but it is here now. **_

**_Thanks to Content1 for all her help. The woman was struck down with the 'bubonic plague' of viruses and still found time to beta for me. You are like frickin' Wonder Woman!_**

**_I do not own Twilight or it's characters. I own an exceptionally unhealthy Jasper addiction and a rapidly growing Emmett obsession._**

**_Here we go people... FIGHT SCHOOL!_**

**_

* * *

_**

_Chapter 22_

_Combat training._

**_It's an ache that never heals  
It's the deepest cut you feel  
It's the thing in you that feeds  
The animal in me  
It's the darker side of lust  
It's the other side of us  
It's the thing in you that feeds  
The animal in me_**

_**Motley Crue - Animal In Me**_

I felt better after spending an hour in Jasper's presence. His combination of lethargy, calm and peace helped me deal with the brain-burning episode. Carlisle had hypothesized that forcing my gift to access Alice's when I had no history of precognition had made me more susceptible to pain than when I used other gifts. He theorized that now that I had forced it, I would experience it more often- Which was just fan-fucking-tastic. I did shrug it off though. I really didn't care why it was happening. I just wanted to be able to bear it long enough for me to get through the upcoming battle. Jasper cocked his head at my new burgeoning sense of apathy.

"It's alright, Jazz."

"Why do you feel like that?" His confusion and concern was endearing.

"I just realised that I don't care why my head hurts,"

"You don't?"

"Nope," The 'p' popped as my lips parted to create the sound.

"Why not?"

"Because it doesn't matter," His increasing confusion was leaking from him now and I had to shake my head to clear it. "Jazz, knock it off..."

"Sorry,"

"I just meant that I'm not important. If the fire in my head allows me to help the family in some way, then I will learn to cope with it."

"We won't ask you to do that, Kali,"

"Well, you won't. You will suffer right beside me." I teased, mussing his hair. "What time do we have to meet the pound puppies?"

"Three o'clock at the old baseball clearing. It's out of the way so the noise won't be an issue."

"Yeah, because the sound of something like crashing boulders is easy to hide..." Jasper mock-punched my arm and smiled widely. "So, Jasper, as much as I would hate to put a dampener on our already impressively happy conversation, we need to work out what we are going to do about tonight. Emmett isn't taking this seriously- he thinks it is a joke. Esme and Carlisle don't have the killer instinct that we need and they hate violence. Not to mention the fact that Rosalie couldn't care less.. We need them to be fighters and I don't think we have the time to do it gently." I turned to my brother, hoping that he would have an answer for me. Apparently he did.

"We need to get them angry. Piss them off more than they thought possible. Push them to the edge then kick their asses over it. They need to turn their most animal- most monstrous- sides loose."

"Should I be worried about the fact that we don't seem to have to do that for our own demons to run riot?" I asked teasingly.

"I think under the circumstances, it works to our advantage today. They will need our help."

"I don't like myself when I am like that," I admitted in a small voice. "I know I am a monster, but I don't like feeling like it." I shuddered at the mere thought of just how vicious I would have to be to defend my family. It was loathsome and vile.

"Neither do I," He conceded. "It is, however, a necessity."

"I do have plans for Edward, though," I stated as Jasper turned to me with a quizzical expression on his face. "The way I have it figured, someone is responsible for these newborns and to get them to where they should be, the ring-leader will have to bring them. Edward is going to want a piece or twelve of that person and I want to make sure he is physically capable of doing it."

"You just want the opportunity to piss him off again,"

"I don't piss him off... do I?" I was suddenly worried. Other than our little spat where we both received some pretty brutal punches to the chest, we got on alright. I ruffled his feathers and he ruffled mines, but nothing that I would have considered to be me pissing him off.

"Jesus, calm down, Darlin'" Jasper soothed, shoving a little surge of calm my way. "I was only referring to the incident that shall not be discussed."

"You mean when he hit me?" He nodded. "If it isn't to be discussed, why are you discussing it?" I teased.

"Because it is funny?" He offered, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm glad your brother's new penchant for domestic violence amuses you."

"He didn't hurt you?"

"No, well, yeah, he did. but I hit him back so it was all good." I beamed. I hadn't really tried to hurt him. Not really. Just enough for him to feel it.

"Personally, I think you did the right thing. I have fought the urge to tell him he was being absurd many times. I know I am the main cause of a lot of his- how shall I put it?- uncertainty? But I never agreed with his choices in how to deal with things." Jasper instantly started giving off soft whisps of guilt. I was suddenly very remorseful for no good reason.

"Jazz, I haven't done anything wrong. Could I stop feeling guilty now?" I pouted at him and waited for the warm, happy feelings to take over my body. I smiled when the emotion started filtering through. I wasn't left waiting long as he sensed my need.

"You two ready to go?" Emmett asked, bouncing out of the front door and jumping up and down in front of us, subsequently bursting the little brother/sister bubble me and Jasper had created.

"Yeah, we're good. We running?" I looked down at my purple, spike-heel boots. These were NOT appropriate running gear. I liked them too much to waste them.

"Yep, It's quicker and the mutts need to follow our scents in." Emmett confirmed. I nodded once, slapped both my knees with my hands and stood up off of the porch-swing.

"Guess it's time to take you boys to fight school," I teased, shoving Emmett clean off of the porch and onto the driveway, spraying black gravel twenty feet in every direction. "By the looks of it, Em, you are gonna need some serious work..."

Jasper laughed hysterically as Emmett righted himself. He scowled viciously as he walked back up the front stairs. "You are going to pay for that," He growled.

"Tell you what, Emmett; If you can put me on my back once tonight, I will give you my Lamborghini. How's that?"

"Deal," He smirked. "Don't expect special treatment because you are a girl."

"I hadn't realised that you noticed that I was female..." I teased, moving towards the front door. "I would, however, be disappointed if you went easy." I bolted upstairs to change my shoes. We had a fifteen mile hike tonight and these shoes just wouldn't make it.

We were messing around in the clearing. It had been a fun trip up here despite the reason for it. Emmett had been a handful the whole way. He had, on several occasions ended up being thrown through a tree as he tried to win my Murcielago. His most recent attempt to upend me had resulted in Esme scolding us hotly for behaving like children.

Jasper and Emmett were play-wrestling and chuckling like morons as we awaited the arrival of Edward, Bella and the wolves. The wind changed direction, bringing the two more favourable scents towards us. Edward and Bella broke the treeline and were deep in conversation.

"You know what I think?" She asked Edward who, to his credit, was quick on the uptake.

"No," he grinned. Thankfully, for his sake, she chose to ignore his dry wit. "What do you think?"

"I think it's all connected. Not just the two things, but the three of them."

"You lost me," Edward admitted.

"Three bad things have happened since you came back," She theorized. I counted four. The wolves were a pain in the arse. Not sure if she would count them though... I was broken from my thoughts by Bella's ideas. "The newborns in Seattle, the stranger in my room and - first of all- Victoria came back for me."

As she said it like that, everything slotted into place with a deafening, mental thud. Victoria's friend, Laurent, have gone to the Denali clan and had obviously talked to them about the Cullens and their abilities. If he had spoken to Victoria, she would now know everything about Alice's visions and how to get around them. Vampires on a vengeance kick would, literally, do anything to avenge that which was lost. If creating an army of newborn vampires is what it would take to get the job done, then so be it. That being said, one mature- albeit, insane- vampire wasn't the most immediate problem. The twenty-one newborn vampires were. We would have to focus on them before we dealt with the psycho-bitch.

"You're very perceptive today," Edward remarked, bringing me out of my contemplative state. I had no idea what Bella had said to him. Whatever it was, it must have been impressive because he continued to tell her so.

Bella sighed. "Maybe it's just this place. It makes me feel like she is closer..like she sees me now." I stiffened at the idea and scanned the clearing to check. The bitch was nuts and it seemed like the kind of bullshit she would pull. The wind shifted again and I was hit with the most ridiculous wave of repulsion. The smell of the wolves was so strong, I felt physically sick. I covered my mouth and nose with my hand and balled my other hand into a fist. Rosalie and Esme wrinkled their nose and Emmett dry-heaved. Once I was able to, I focused on their minds and nearly keeled over.

_"God the smell! My nose is killing me!"_

_"Why the hell are we doing this?"_

_"If they know more than us, we have to learn."_

_"Like hell we do! We could take all of them."_

_"They need our help. Jacob offered it and we stand by our offer,"_

_"Thanks a fucking lot, Jake!"_

_"Shut up, Leah,"_ There was a female wolf?

_"Can it, all of you!"_ The authority that rang through the last statement blistered. Clearly, this was the alpha of the pack, Sam. It was hard to discern different voices. There were more than I thought there would be.

_"Edward, did you hear that?"_ I thought.

_"Yes,"_ He replied in kind.

_"There are more of them..."_ I unfocused my mind against the torrent of wolf thoughts. I just managed to get my headache under control and it didn't seem wise to open myself up to that kind of abuse again. I craned my neck, looking into the woods and I felt my eyes bug out when I saw them approach. I had obviously seen them in their wolf-form before, but this was something different. The night I was shown the boundary line, there were four wolves and that was an impressive sight, but this was just astonishing.

"Prepare yourselves- they've been holding out on us." Edward said, his eyes trained to the same spot that mines were.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked, turning to look at the same place that Edward and I were. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"**DAMN!**" Emmett muttered, "Did you ever see anything like it?" No. No, I had not.

"What is it?" Bella demanded. It never occurred to me that she wouldn't be able to see the pack yet.

"The pack has grown," Edward explained for her. That had to be an understatement. We knew of six wolves but the voices in my head and the display in front of us would indicate ten. Ten huge, horse-sized, vampire killing wolves were now marching towards us. Equal amounts of hope and disgust raged within me. If this was the help we were expecting to receive, this would be a lot easier than I had thought. The only problem was, the very thought of the wolves repulsed me. They stopped just inside the trees, refusing to come into the open.

Carlisle took a couple of steps forward to greet the mutts.

"I'm going to have to translate for them," Edward said, rolling his eyes. "They don't trust enough to be in their human form."

"They are here, that's the main thing," Carlisle offered. The wolves were fucking idiots. If we wanted to take them out, we would have done so already. We needed their help, so we weren't going to break them, were we?

"We will watch and listen, but no more." Edward said in a flat tone as he translated for the dogs. "That is the most we can ask of our self-control."

"That is more than enough." Carlisle answered with a smile. "My son, Jasper has experience with newborn vampires and my daughter, Kali," I beamed a little bit when he called me his daughter." Has experience with defensive maneuvers with regards to battling our kind. They will teach us how to fight, how they are to be defeated. I'm sure you will be able to apply the lessons to your own hunting style."

"Do you know when and how they will arrive?" Edward asked for the wolves.

"They will come over the mountains in four days in the late morning. As they approach, Alice will help us intercept their path."

"Thank you for the information. We will watch." The wolves sat back on their hunches and waited for us to start. I turned to Jasper, who nodded once and we both took a simultaneous step forward.

"Carlisle is right," Jasper began when we were halfway between our family and the pack. "The newborns will fight like children. The two most important things to remember are first, don't let them get their arms around you, and second, don't go for the obvious kill. That's all they will be prepared for. As long as you come at them from the side and keep moving, they will be too confused to respond effectively."

"Why do we avoid them getting their arms around us?" Edward asked for the wolves again.

"Newborn vampires are never more strong than they are in the first several months to this life." I said, taking a step to the side to give the wolves a view of my family. "With the strength they possess, they will crush you and half you in two." A low growl sounded from the wolves as I motioned to Emmett to come forward. He grinned like a lunatic and came towards me. Jasper smiled when he felt his brother's anticipation.

"Okay, Emmett first," Jasper said. "He is the best example of a newborn attack."

I stepped away from Jasper, and stopped directly in front of Emmett, smirking at him. "I'll try not to break anything," Emmett muttered as his eyes narrowed and zeroed onto me, locking onto his target. Jasper's already present grin widened.

"What I meant is that Emmett relies on his strength. He is very straight forward about the attack. The newborns won't be trying anything subtle either."

"Just go for the easy kill, brother," I taunted, slipping down into a crouch. My muscles bunched and corded. My entire body was coiled and ready to spring.

"Begin," Jasper called.

Emmett thundered towards me with the velocity of a speeding train. The ground trembled under his feet as he charged forward. He was about four feet away when I side-stepped him, spun on the spot and grabbed his shoulder. He twisted under my hands, grabbing my wrists as he went and tried to bring me closer to him so he could get his arms around my chest. I slid out, shoving my feet between his legs and pulled him down with me until he flipped and landed on his back. I grabbed him around the throat, only to have him on his feet again and lunging at me. We twisted around each other for another half a minute until he made a ridiculously rookie move. He left his back exposed to me. I had landed one particularly brutal gut-shot, causing him to double over. I somersaulted over him, jumping onto his back and wrapped my hand around his throat again, my teeth at his neck.

"Shit!" He cursed and threw his hands up in surrender. I laughed loudly and mussed his hair as I climbed off of his back. _"Again!"_ He growled, his smile gone completely.

"It's my turn," Edward protested. I narrowed my eyes as i re-focused on his gift.

_"Did you see that shit?"_

_"How the fuck did she move that fast?"_

_"She got the big one pretty good..."_

_"Focus on the techniques,"_ I recognised Sam's alpha tone. He was forcing them to concentrate.

"Jasper, you're up," I called, turning to look at him. He nodded once and addressed his over-eager brother.

"I want to show Bella something first, Edward." Jasper murmured as he waved Alice forward. I took a step back, allowing them to fill the space- albeit a little less impressively- that Emmett and I had recently vacated. It was just then that I realised how mashed up the ground was. Deep gouges and scratches ruined the ground and upturned the grass. My clothes were going to be a mess and Alice was going to have a field day with me later.

"Kali, She has been planning it since you called Emmett forward." Edward confirmed my inner musings and I growled a little as Alice stepped towards her mate.

"I know you worry about Alice, Bella," Jasper offered. "I'm going to show you why it's not necessary." Alice just smiled angelically as she stood in the middle of the open space and closed her eyes. I didn't even bother looking into her head. I knew just how fast she was and her size was a ridiculous advantage to her. Besides, Jasper had neither the compunction or the need to truly hurt her. Alice would castrate him if he so much as wrinkled her blouse. From the time Alice closed her eyes and Jasper began to move, Bella's heart had contracted twice. Two heartbeats was all it took for Jasper to begin his 'attack'.

He never even got close. She side-stepped him at the very last moment, leaving him standing in an empty space next to her. He swung his arms for her and she ducked and moved out of his way again. I knew that she couldn't see his moves, but she was predicting his movements, listening to the body that she was so attuned to. She spun and swayed around his every move, the tempo increasing with every pass. They danced like experts, him supporting her like the prima ballerina she appeared to be. The hypnotically violent dance continued and I knew Bella would struggle to keep up with this, but I honestly couldn't take my eyes off of them as they shifted and turned. As the pace hit fever-pitch, instinctive snarls and growls erupted from them but that level of violent movement was short lived when Jasper abruptly stopped. The small form of Alice's body was perched onto his back with her lips pressed to the curve between his neck and shoulder. She was giggling gently at her mate as a truely grloious smile broke over Jasper's face.

"Gotcha!" Alice declared, placing a sweet little kiss onto the strong line of his jaw.

"You truly are one frightening little monster," He complimented her, helping her down off of his back. Sadly, the wolves weren't so amused. By the uneasy posture of their sitting bodies and the whines that sounded like complaints, I could tell that our little display was making them uncomfortable. Good. Maybe it would teach some of them some respect. Edward apparently echoed my sentiments as he informed Bella that the wolves were, in fact, uncomfortable. He also thought that the wolves lesson in respect was overdue. Perhaps it was time for me to show my brother just how well that lesson in respect could be learned by vampire and wolf alike. Edward's head snapped to me and a lop-sided grin graced his features. His eyes sparkled with anticipation as his eyebrows raised in question.

"Yeah, you heard me, Telepath. Come and get your ass kicked," I teased, nodding to Jasper and Alice as the got out of the way. I moved towards the middle of the clearing and stood still, with my hands by my sides and my hands and shoulders relaxed.

"My turn," Edward said, turning to give Bella a quick kiss before stalking forward. I winked at him. It was goading him and I knew it.

"Now, you two, Try and keep the use of gifts to a minimum. We don't want cries of '_cheat_' later on." Jasper said, trying to negotiate the rules of engagement.

"Blow me! If he's reading my mind, I'm reading his." I said, folding my arms across my chest defiantly.

"I can't turn it off," Edward argued.

"Well, if you can't, then I won't."

Jasper just shrugged his shoulders at us, giving up on his sense of diplomacy and getting the hell out of the way. "Whenever you are ready guys." He called as he moved completely out of the way.

I sashayed back a few steps before moving myself to the left and right. Edward copied my movements, sometimes moving before I did. Shit. I would really have to focus hear. Once I had heard enough from his head to know that he was thinking of nothing but what was running through mines, I winked at him again and dived for him. I was aiming for his chest, deciding while I was- literally- in mid-air to switch targets. I aimed for his right arm, hoping to get a hold of it and drag him to the ground. Unfortunately, he heard my intent and countered me by stepping just to the side and reaching to get a hold of me around the waist. His thoughts betrayed him like mines had done me, and I got out of the way.

"_Don't rely on your ability, Edward,_" I thought fiercely. "_You might come up against someone who's thoughts you can't hear and you will be fucked. So less head, more body._"

I had managed to distract him enough to get a hold of his shirt, and throwing a particularly harsh punch right at his shoulder. His resulting growl let me know that I was getting through. After that first blow landed, it became mush less of a mind game and more of a fight. We came at each other again and again, trading blows but never really gaining an advantage. Snarls and hissing growls broke free when the shots began to connect- each punch or kick earning a counter-blow. At one point, he tried to get his arms around my chest to restrain me. As his muscular limbs cirled around me, I spun on the spot and jumped, curling my legs as I went and planted my feet against his chest and shoving with everything I had. He must have caught hold of my wrist on his trip backwards, becuase the world suddenly turned itself upside down and I was flipping through the air like a tossed coin. I landed abour fifteen feet back from my original position with a substantial thud, right on my arse.

I sat up, looking for Edward. He looked ridiculous. I could only assume that I did too, because he looked like he would burst a blood vessel from preventing his laughter. His face tipped me over the edge and I buckled, guffawing like Emmett on drugs.

"Ahem," Jasper pretended to clear his throat, trying to restore some kind of order to proceedings. "Let's call that one a draw for now." Edward was on his feet and in front of me holding a hand out to help me up. Clasping my figers around his hand and wrist, I pulled myself vertical and brushing myself off.

"Rematch?" I asked Edward, grinning like a fool.

"Just tell me the time and the place, sis," He agreed, flinging an arm around my shoulder and giving me a quick squeeze before letting me go and walking towards Bella. I shifted gifts, focusing on Edward and allowing my head to be filled with thoughts on our little demonstration of true vampiric speed and agility.

_"What the fuck?"_

_"That female is dangerous,"_

_"That dread-locked leech didn't move that fast,"_

_"Can you apply this to our hunting style?"_

_"I think so. I'll run through some things later,"_

_"the ones with the scars need to be watched,"_

"_Edward, are you hearing this?_" I could barely contain the humour building in me. They were actually scared of me and Jasper. It wasn't respect, not yet, but I would take it.

"_Yes, apparently you need to be watched._" He was struggling with his own hilarity when Jasper announced that everyone should pair off and practice some more. Myself and Jasper just moved amongst the group, giving pointers and advice when needed. They were all doing remarkably- falling into the mindset necessary for what was coming. The only problem was, Carlisle was struggling. He abhorred violence of any kind, i knew that, but even play fighting like this should be do-able and he just wasn't feeling it. I had to piss him off and fighting with his kids wasn't cutting it. I had to do something drastic and I absolutely hated myself for even considering it. It was horrible and vile and it made me feel sick because of it, but we needed him on board. If he didn't get into the right frame of mind or he would get hurt...or worse.

I quickly whispered his name and he spun on the spot to face me. He and Emmett had been sparring near Esme and Rosalie. I smiled deviously and flashed a glance towards Esme.

"Kali, what's wrong?" He asked, getting Emmett to stop his advance. I didn't answer him, simply sinking down into a crouch and heading slowly towards Esme. I allowed the monster to break out of it's cage as I had weighed my 'mother' as prey; a target; a kill. I could feel the anger roll off of Carlisle in waves. He pulled his lips back, exposing his teeth in warning.

"Kali...Stop..." Jasper warned and I could only imagine what he was feeling from everyone present. It was palpable even to me so he must have been struggling. Carlisle dropped into a crouch in front of his mate, a low rasping growl raking it's way through his torso and up through his bared teeth.

"Carlisle," I said slowly and deliberately. I made sure that there was no hint of emotion in my voice, nothing to indicate that I was only pretending. I never took my eyes off of Esme who, quite rightly, looked horrified. "If you don't stop me, I will go for her." I took another step forward to be met by a startlingly furious hiss.

"Back away, Kali," Carlisle said, leaving no room for argument as he began to advance himself.

"No, I'm going to take her pretty head into my hands and twist it until it pops off like a champagne cork. _**What the hell are you going to do about it?**_" I snarled, smiling slightly. It tipped him over the edge.

His growl crashed off of the trees, amplifying the already impressive sound. His lunge was more graceful than any I had seen. His power unrivaled as his hands collided with my chest, knocking me on my arse twenty feet away. His leap was spectacular in its speed and accuracy as he landed inches from my head and wrapped his hand around my neck. I made no attempt to fight him off. I didn't have to. When I was sure he had released his monster- when it had burst its cage door right off its hinges and was running loose, I knew that I had got to the dark place inside his head and I got him to crack. The pressure around my throat increased and I knew I would have to diffuse this quickly and I muttered the one word that I knew would bring him back.

"Dad," His hand instantly loosened around me, his expression going from mind-altering rage to stomach-churning guilt. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Carlisle. I had to show you. I'm sorry. I had to push you- to make you see and..." I trailed off. The clearing was deathly quiet and I hadn't really factored the people around us into the problem when I came up with a way to deal with it. I had no idea why I assumed that 'dad' would halt him... but I needed him to think of me as his daughter more than I ever had. I needed him to reassure me that it was okay.

"Kali... I..." Carlisle was shocked and horrified and disgusted with himself and my guilt went into spiral mode.

"Not in front of the wolves, Dad. Hold it together until we get home." He nodded once and helped me to my feet. I patted him on the back before turning to the rest of my family.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," I apologised. What they had seen wasn't pretty and it wasn't the best idea I ever had, but it had the effect I needed it to. "But you had to see that. I need you to see just how far I need you to go. You need to see just how feral you will have to get to protect those you love. I will push you, and then I will push you again and when you are at the edge, I will shove you right the fuck over it."

"We need to be focused and aggressive." Jasper added, coming to stand beside me, sending a little wave of comfort my wave and I grabbed his hand and gave it a little squeeze to say thanks. "This army will have only two things on their mind. One destroying you and two, taking out the person we are all hear to defend and protect. Now, who's next?"

Rosalie stepped forward and the training resumed. I didn't fight again after that. I just moved amongst the groups, giving more pointers and suggestions- telling them how to block attacks and counter moves when they seemed to be inescapable. There was no more goofing around, no more jokes, no more fun. Once they realised that we were serious and that we would do whatever it took to get them ready, they got their shit together. They began to look like fighters. We continued until the sky began to lighten to a dull grey colour.

"That's enough for the day, Jazz," I whispered as I passed by him. He nodded once, distracting him enough that Rosalie planted him into the ground and got him with a pretty cool kick to the ribs.

_"Edward, that's us finished. Is Bella alright?_" I thought, turning to look at him. Bella must have been awake for about twenty-four hours by this point and for a human, that wasn't good. I stole a quick glance at her, noting the lavander bags that were forming under Bella's eyes, which were beginning to droop.

"_She's exhausted. I'm going to get her home as soon as we are done here,"_ He thought. I nodded my agreement and looked pointedly at Jasper who also nodded.

"I think that's enough for the day," Jasper announced, calling a halt to practice. The wolves stood up and shook off their limbs. Their minds were buzzing with all that they had witnessed.

_"Fucking hell..."_

_"You have to admit, that was something else,"_

_"Can we use it, Jake?"_

_"Yeah, I think so,"_

_"How will we know what leeches aren't to be touched during the fight?"_

_"Their scents..."_

_"Ew!"_

_"We are going to have to get closer to them..."_

_"Oh fucking great-"_

"Everyone," I called, bringing the attention back to myself for the first time since mine and Carlisle's little episode. "The wolves think that it will help if they are able to discern our scents from the newborns,"

"Of course," Carlisle nodded.

"It will be easier if we all stand still," Edward pointed out.

"After we get the dog treatment, I'm gonna run home quickly. I want to check out the news and I need space and..." I thought. This was starting to get to me.

"Not a problem, Kali," Edward said, his eyes darting towards the now advancing wolves.

_"God, they fucking **STINK!**" _Emmett thought. His whole mental tone was pissed off and I understood it. I didn't want the fleabags anywhere near me.

_"Oh god, Sam! It fucking hurts!" _

_"Could you please focus? We need to get this right. We can't screw up and take one of them out. Not now... They are dangerous."_ The wolves had formed a single line behind the massive black form of Sam. I noted that Jacob filed in right behind Sam. Hmm... that would make him second in command... kinda like the Beta of the pack. Sam stood in front of Carlisle and took on tiny little sniff.

_"Oh, hell..."_

I smirked at his thoughts but realised that I would be next so I held still and stopped my lungs from pushing air around. They needed to smell me, I didn't need that information.

_"Kali, one sniff from Sam will be enough for them. You can go if you need to..."_ Edward thought. He was two down the line from me and next to Jasper. He knew how badly I needed to get out of here. Him and Jasper were the only ones who knew just how much I was struggling. I nodded and waited until the mutts had passed me, gave Edward a quick mental thanks and got the fuck out of there.

I needed space to clear my head. I needed room to stuff my animal back into it's cage.

I needed time to get back in to Kali Cullen mode. I needed air to get away from the stench of mutt.

I needed to be prepared to face the backlash I was sure to recieve at the hands of the Cullens when they finally got a hold of me.

I could only hope that they undrestood.

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_**Author Note- Thanks for reading this chapter. I found it difficult to write. I didn't like provoking Carlisle, but at least it worked, right? Please leave your thoughts and let me know. You guys help me craft a better story. **_

**_Thanks again to Content1 for everything. You are a legend amongst Twi-hards. _**

**_Story recommendation - The dominant by Tara Sue Me. (Lemons, BDSM, Language... all the good stuff basically. I fucking love this story)_**

**_Next chapter...the backlash from training and a little more about Kali's past is revealed. Previews for people who review. ;-)_**

**_Kalika87 (Amanda)  
_**


	23. Understanding

**_Author note- Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. I appreciate, love and cherish every e-mail and review. _**

**_Thanks to Content1 for her continued help and support. Kali would be a very different person with out you, honey. _**

**_Thanks also to angeleync for sticking with the story so strongly. Yer a little star!_**

**_Here we go, the aftermath. Be prepared for some emo shit in this one. It couldn't be helped. _**

**_Stephanie meyer owns twilight. I may have to bribe her into selling me Jasper.

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_**Chapter 23**_

_**Understanding.**_

Have you ever felt so guilty, so disgusted with yourself, that your very insides feel like they are grinding against your ribs to get away from the wretched beast that you had become?

Yeah, well, that was a mild summary of what I felt when I got back to the Cullen house. It had been so long since I was that person- so long since I had been that despicable and cruel and I had chosen my adoptive father to unleash myself on. I was disgusted with myself and seeing the beautiful white house that I had been welcomed into sent my, already devastating, sense of shame into a complete nosedive until my stomach felt like it was filled with lead. I knew what I did was necessary but it didn't make what I had done to my family any more acceptable. I could only hope that they would find it in their extraordinarily open hearts to forgive me.

I made my way into the house and was surprised to find it in a state of complete disarray; the fall-out from the slightly over-shadowed graduation party. The humans had a blast, I'm positive. The 'Fork's party of the decade' (As some had called it.) would be the topic of discussion for months. If the state of the house was anything to go by, it might take that long to get the damn house in order. There were plates and cups all over the place. The spilled drinks stains were currently dyeing the carpet a variety of different colours and streamers, burst balloons and hideous smelling little clumps of food had been trampled into the floors in the living room and hall. The detritus would take way too long to clean up. The humans should have been fitted with fucking bibs and sippy cups if this is the mess they were capable of making. I rolled my eyes and pulled in a deep breath as I began to sigh.

My throat burned. The concentration of human scents was strongest in this room and I was over due a hunt after being around humanity so much and the exertion of the training sessions had left me in need of a hunt and the smell of the teenagers that had recently occupied this room was a little much, even for me. I threw open the back windows, allowing the air to circulate through the two open doors. Rather than just sitting in the newly squalid room, I figured it wouldn't hurt my chances of redemption with the family if I started to tidy up a bit. I went into the kitchen and retrieved the large, metal waste bin that was in there and set about the arduous task of reconstructing this disaster of a party-zone.

My head snapped up as I replaced the black bag in the bin for the seventh time. The family were just on the other side of the river.

"Jasper, is Kali alright?" Carlisle asked as he broke the tree-line. I felt like crying. I had broken this man down, turned him feral, threatened his wife and children... and he wanted to know if I was okay? The plummeting feeling started up again in my stomach.

"She is feeling so guilty, Carlisle," Jasper murmured as he leaped the river and landed with a soft thud. "She is also really disappointed in herself." It was like having my own fucking therapist, I swear to God...

"She shouldn't feel guilty, poor dear." Esme lamented as they walked across the back lawn. I finally found the ability to move again and I tossed the last bag out the front door onto the heap just past the porch that I had made. The boys could move it later. As I closed the door, I realised that the others would now be back in the house... and waiting on me. Shit. I took a deep breath. Best get this over and done with quickly. If we got the yelling out the way quickly, I might have enough time to grovel and beg for their pardon. I turned to face them, waiting for the anger to bubble over and explode from someone. I scanned their faces, looking for some indication as to who would blow first. When my eyes touched on Carlisle's face, I felt like I might actually die. I charged at him, knocking him backwards as I wrapped my arms around his waist, sobbing into his shoulder.

"Kali? What's wrong?" He pleaded._ "Talk to me."_ His arms surrounded me, crushing me to him in the most paternal way possible.

"I'm so sorry, Carlisle," I choked out. "I didn't mean... I wasn't really..."

"Enough," Esme sounded stern enough to stop the sobs momentarily. I turned to her, noting that Jasper was leaning against the wall as far away from me as he could get. I could only imagine what he was having to cope with right now. His head has in his hands and his shoulders shook as he tried to get a hold of the feelings in the room. I was instantly remorseful again and tried desperately to control myself to save Jazz the embarrassment of sobbing like I was. "Kali, I wanted to thank you- Jasper as well, she said, turning to face her son. "You have given us the means to protect our family. We have learned so much because of you both. What you said and what you did has helped us."

"I owe you an apology, Esme. I shouldn't have threatened you like that. I had to get Carlisle to react and I shouldn't have used you like that but I did and I am sorry. I just had to..."

"I know how sorry you are, Kals," Jasper muttered, his hands still covering his face. His voice was rough as hell with the emotion he was currently being submitted to and I felt guilty all over again. "But I'M not. You needed this. You needed to see just how bad it would be and how far down the rabbit hole you would have to go and Kali only gave you a taste of that."

"Kali, come with me please?" Carlisle asked, pulling me towards the stairs. He kept his arm around my shoulder as we ascended the staircase. I was a little surprised that he continued up to the third floor rather than stop at his study on the second. He led me into my bedroom and ushering me into a seated position on my bed. Although I was ridiculously upset, I still felt a little pang of shame when I realised that my appointed room looked like a tornado had hit it. In the aftermath of the party, graduation, training and two very painful brain burning episodes, my room looked like a squatter's hovel. There were clothes and shoes all over the fucking place.

"Sorry about the mess," I said in a small voice. "It's been a fucker of a day," He chuckled tensely at the colour of my language but chose to pass on the chastising. Perhaps he was saving that for my inexcusable behavior in the baseball clearing. I would have fucking earned any kind of repercussion that was coming my way.

"Will you stop apologizing?" He asked. "I wanted to say sorry myself and you are making it difficult for me."

Okay, now I was confused. "Come again?"

"Kali, I shouldn't have attacked you like that. I-"

"Yes, you should have. That was the point." I stated. " I needed to break you. I wanted to see you crack and let out the animal that would do anything for his mate and his family."

"Then why are you feeling so guilty?"

"Because I threatened Esme, I upset you and the rest of the family, I frightened Bella- although she will deny it."

"Kali, you made me do what it took to protect the people you just mentioned." He argued. "Dear, I can't begin to understand what today has cost you or felt like for you- between graduation, the party, two visions, arguments with werewolves and having to train us - You have shown dedication to this family beyond anything we would have asked of you and we honestly, couldn't be more proud," Well that went and fucking did it.

The flood gates opened and I was dry sobbing again. Carlisle was off the bed in an instant and back within second with a warm washcloth and a dry towel before I could even raise my head to see where he had gone. He tilted my head back with one hand, pressing the warm cloth under my eyes to alleviate the stinging tear ducts that just would shed the damn venom in my system. The only problem was, he was taking care of me; like a father would and I found that THAT upset me more. I didn't deserve for him to look after me like this.

"Stop that, Kali. Seriously, you are killing me here..." Jasper called from downstairs. I laughed, proper belly laughed.

"Sorry, Jazz. I'm trying, I promise..." I muttered. I felt a warm fuzzy feeling of love and support wrap around me as Jasper helped in his own special way.

"If you keep this up, Jasper is going to be on the receiving end of some spectacular insults at the hands of Emmett," Carlisle teased, offering me the dry towel to dry my stinging face.

"God, I am such a wreck today." I grumbled into the soft, white towel.

"Not surprising, really. It has been difficult all-round."

"Carlisle, you understand that it doesn't matter how rough I have had it, or how shit my day has been, It doesn't excuse my behaviour earlier." I kept my eyes turned down. I was still embarrassed by my actions and was struggling with their easy acceptance of it.

"I forgave you the in the clearing," He said flippantly, like it was no big thing.

"When?"

"When you called me 'Dad'. "He looked like he might cry himself. His eyes glistened and his pride was evident.

"You know, I think of you like a brother in so many ways, Carlisle. Tonight- the whole fucking day, in fact- you have looked after me, cared for me, applauded me. You allowed me to teach your children how to fight and you forgave me for threatening your soul-mate." I lifted my head to look into his dark eyes. "What I am trying to say is that, you treat me like your daughter and you love and look after me like I am your daughter. You are the closest thing to a father that I have any kind of memory of and I love you for it." I was pulled into an almost crippling bear hug by one overly emotional vampire doctor.

"Alright, you pair of girls!" Emmett boomed from the living room. "Sort out your tampons and quit the lovey-dovey, Hallmark, Lifetime special crap!"

I released Carlisle and charged out of my room, straight down the stairs and made a bee-line for my idiot of a brother. He made the mistake of standing in the frame of the open back door., his whole frame taking up the space. I ran at full tilt. Alice gasped when she saw my intention and no-one was close enough to stop me. Jasper moved, but never got to me in time. I pulled my right fist back, snapping it forward and connecting with Emmett's head, knocking him clean out of the house, off the back porch and onto the lawn in a spray of dirt, mud and grass.

"Watch your goddamn mouth, Emmett. Or so help me, God, I will turn you inside fucking out!" I snarled, before about turning and planting myself onto the sofa.

Jasper was doubled over laughing. Alice's tinkling giggle sounded as Carlisle finally hit the bottom stair. Esme looked appalled and Rosalie was cussing me out mentally. I didn't need to hear her mind, her face was telling me everything I needed to know. Emmett finally reappeared at the door rubbing his forehead, causing Jasper to set off in a whole new round of hysterics. I however, found nothing fucking funny about the insensitivity that my brother was exhibiting. The indents of my knuckles in his fucking forehead should serve as a reminder to be more tactful around upset female vampires. how he hadn't learned THAT lesson in this family, I would never know. Emmett's face was twisted with rage until he clocked my expression. I was so far beyond pissed off, I was seriously considering kicking his ass all the way over the river and into one of the Cedars on the opposite side.

"Not a good idea, Kali. Esme likes that one." Alice informed me.

"Shit." I grumbled, folding my arms over my chest. Emmett marched with purpose, ignoring every other body in the room, stopping directly in front of me and dropping down so that he was at my eye level. My muscles tense out of habit, preparing for attack. It was unnecessary. Emmett's face softened as he knelt before me, placing both of his hands on my knees.

"Sorry, sis," He whispered. I froze. The whole fucking room did.

"You feeling alright, Em?"

"Yeah, I heard what you and Carlisle were talking about. I thought the joke would help."

"And you thought that would be appropriate after the day I have had?"

"Miscalculation," He shrugged his massive shoulders. "I'll try to think it through twice before I say stuff like that again."

"Don't strain yourself," Rosalie scoffed.

"Am I forgiven?" Emmett pulled out the most heart-wrenching puppy dog eyes. I felt my stomach flip at the image. He was so damn cute when he was trying to suck up...

"Yes and no," I stated, moving to stand up. "I forgive you for being a jackass' you can't help it and on any other day, it would be endearing. But I am not forgiving you for forgetting your training so damn quickly."

"What do you mean?"

"Em, I came at you with plenty of warning, going for a straight forward attack. I showed you how to block those not one hour ago."

"Great, not only do I get punched in the face, but I get lectured as well?" His arms flailed by his sides in a very 'Alice' way.

"You are such a girl sometimes." My eyes rolled as I got up from the sofa. "I'm going to lie down for a bit. If it were possible for me to be tired, I would be dead on my feet just now..."

"You know, Kals. Technically, you ARE dead on your feet." Emmett said, smirking.

"Em, did you forget already? Brain first, mouth second." I reminded him.

"Shit..."

"Emmett Cullen!"

"Sorry Esme."

I giggled once and started towards the staircase, just wanting some space. I needed to sit and do nothing but listen to music and get my over-active brain to cool down and take stock.

"Kali, just take your time," Jasper murmured, sensing my emotional need. I nodded once and took the stairs two at a time. Once on the third floor, I made a bee-line for my bedroom, closing the door behind me and feeling thankful for my own little sanctuary. It had been a long fucking day and I was mentally exhausted. I had spent so much time using other peoples gifts, I was slightly worried about never getting rid of them. Alice's gift was particularly unnerving for me- not to mention painful as fuck. And the most depressing thing about this shit, was I had at least two more days prep work and a battle to get through.

Just that thought alone had me throwing myself down on my bed, grabbing my iPod off of the bedside table as I went. I didn't want to be hearing the conversations that would now be taking place downstairs. I didn't like being the center of attention but this family seemed to put me in the spotlight a lot more than I was comfortable with. To be fair, I wasn't really helping myself with the record number of violent and emotional outbursts, but this family, this ridiculous and fantastic family was bringing it out in me. They made me feel alive. Just that notion was enough to calm me back down enough to start scrolling through my iPod for my intended chill out music. Hitting the menus, I found Apocalyptica. Fucking perfect. Pressing play, I stuffed the buds into my ears and allowed the first notes of the music to wash over me. I cranked the volume and allowed the Worlds Collide album to relax my frazzled head under a profusion of cello melodies.

* * *

I got through two thirds of the discography before I surfaced from my stupor. It was as close as I was getting to sleep, but it did the job nicely. I felt more focused and alert. Moving off of the bed, I headed in the direction of my en-suite. Turning on the hot water, I started up the shower and removed the earphones and placed one of the true miracles of the modern world back into it's charging dock, allowing the music to play through the speakers this time. i stripped off quickly and jumped into the shower. Taking a shower was almost ritualistic for me. The water would be as hot as I could get it and the steam would billow out in plumes above the shower curtain- clinging to the mirror and sink like a shimmering film. When the bathroom began to resemble a sauna, I started with my body, washing every single inch of it and rinsing off. I didn't have my usual body wash here yet, just the one that Alice had picked out for me, but it worked for now. Once all the madness of this week was passed, I could go and shop properly and bring more of my things here. Once I was free of bubbles, I would stand under the hot spray, allowing it to warm my body until it was almost human temperature. I could have counted each individual water droplet that hit the surface of my skin. Often I would start to count, but get distracted by the sensory overload that the impacts have on me.

My favourite part of showering was washing my hair. No matter how much of a rush I was in, this was the one aspect of my routine that I would not rush. I had discovered the perfect shampoo that complimented my oddly tropical vampire scent. Normally, I smelled of passion-fruit and orchids. An odd combination considering where I am originally from, but the coconut or jasmine shampoo worked very well. It made me smell pretty.

I think I must have been in the shower about twenty minutes when I decided that enough was enough. My family had graciously given me the space and time I needed. I knew that they were scattered around the house pursuing various activities and could hear everything that was going on in this room, but the act of staying away was greatly appreciated. I smiled at the thought and made to switch off the water, running through everything that would be covered by tonight's training session. Uneven pairings and attack maneuvers were on the agenda tonight, which put me right smack in the middle of the spotlight again. I sighed at the thought and turned the water off and pulled back the shower curtain. As I lifted a leg to get out of the shower, the most intense and agonizing fire ripped it's way through my head.

"**_SHIT! Jazz! Carlisle!_**" I screamed as my brain seared and I hit the floor with a loud crack. Bella and Edward's face scorched their way across my mind, their images dancing in front of my eyes as the whole world was set ablaze. Edward was sitting out of the battle... for Bella. _**"FUCK!"**_ I screamed, throwing my fist out and connecting with the wall and something that felt like metal. Water exploded around me, but didn't even get close to putting out the fire inside my head. I screeched as another wave of vision hit me. More images of Edward and Bella sitting at Charlie Swan's kitchen table burned their way into the grey matter of my brain as I began to sob.

"Kali?"

I was vaguely aware of the fact that Jasper was now here. I heard the voice, but I couldn't respond to it. Whatever connection in my brain allowed me to form words must have been destroyed in the inferno. My limbs thrashed as I tried to get a grip on something that wasn't painful. I needed to focus, but found nothing I could train my thoughts onto. "Kali, stop it and listen to me." When did Carlisle arrive and why was he yelling at me?

"Kali, focus on my voice. Nothing but my voice. Do you hear me?" He asked, holding my head in his hands. Struggling to clear my consciousness, I trained all thought on his voice, listening to the tone and timbre of the words as he spoke them. I heard Esme sobbing next to the room door. I heard Alice, Emmett and Rosalie downstairs panicking. I couldn't focus on his voice. my thoughts began to scatter again until the most astonishing swell of peace and calm surged around me, seeping under my skin. Jasper had gripped me around the waist, keeping my back against his chest and pressing his bare arms against the exposed skin on my stomach.

"Kali," Jasper whispered "I've got you." The skin to skin contact allowed his gift exponentially more powerful. I could feel the pain I was inflicting on him and I used all the available parts of my mind to focus on pushing the pain aside, effectively self-medicating. Once I was more or less in control of myself again, I forced my eyes open only to slam them shut again in complete and utter embarrassment. _Oh FUCK!_

"Why the hell are you embarrassed?" Jasper demanded, pushing a strong feeling of reassurance in my direction.

I grumbled quietly. "You can see them."

"See what?"

"The scars," I said quietly. Due to the fact that I had been in the shower, I was suffering from a serious case of nakedness, which put every aspect of my dangerous history on show. Jasper had scars, but not like mines. Jasper's battle scars were most prominent on his arms, neck and face. Mines were better hidden, but spoke of completely different pain. My scars littered my entire body, running from my feet up to my hips. My stomach, ribs and chest were a weave of crescent bite marks and scratches from my various fights and battles. The embarrassing scars weren't the worst, but they were in the worst place. The junction between my legs bore the evidence of just how rough my transformation had been. I hadn't told the Cullens _THAT_ story yet. There were going to be fucking questions now. I fought against the lethargy that Jasper was smothering me in and tried to move my arms. I had to cover the scars. They didn't need to see.

"Will you stop trying to fucking move and let me help you, Darlin'?" Jasper cursed. That statement alone was enough to halt my actions. I had never, not once, heard Jasper curse in front of the girls. He was a southern gentleman for God's sake. "Carlisle, get her a towel and cover her over, will ya?" Not three seconds had passed before I was wrapped up in a fluffy white towel and being 'put to bed' by Carlisle, Esme and Jasper; The last of which was keeping constant contact with the skin on my shoulder, shoving alternate waves of calm, peace and focus at me. My headache was easing off enough for me to uncurl myself out of the fetal position I had found myself in and I sat up. I shot a glance at the bathroom and I thought I might actually die of shame.

"Alright, I understand the pain, but why are you guilty now?" Jasper asked, sitting next to me on the bed.

"I broke the bathroom," I groaned as I pulled my knees up to my chest and tried to bury myself into the towel that was wrapped around me. There was a hole in the wall the exact size of my fist and four inches deep. The tiles around it were cracked and broken pieces were on the floor. One of the taps was a batter chuck of metal on the floor and water was still pissing out of the broken pipe it used to be connected to. The floor tiles I had fallen onto looked like sand now. "I'm sorry guys. I'll pay to have it fixed."

"I'm doing it!" Emmett boomed, causing me to flinch at the volume. "I get to play with power tools!"

"God help us..." Carlisle sighed, moving to the bathroom and pending the fountain of a pipe over to stop the water from flooding the whole room.

"What did you see?" Jasper asked, finally working up the nerve to bring up the subject. It had been about fifteen minutes since my episode and no-one had asked me yet. I didn't want them to.

"Ask the pixie." I growled, shoving my head into the cotton toweling again. My hair fanned out around my head, allowing the copper curls to form a nice barrier between me and the three people in the room. It hid my venom-filled eyes nicely. Jasper could feel how upset I was, but he didn't need to see it too.

"Alright, every member of this family who has a penis, get downstairs and stay there," Rosalie called out, as she and Alice headed for the stairs. Carlisle and Jasper snapped to attention and made for the door. I instantly felt more anxious and drained when Jasper took his hand off my shoulder, but he sent me a little puff of calm and winked as he headed out the door. Esme shuffled her way over to the bed and sat in the place where Jasper had just been, smoothing my damp hair against my head. Alice caught Jasper halfway up the stairs and quickly explained to him that Edward would be sitting out of the battle and to start drawing up new plans.

"He is about to call me and ask to sit with Bella so he can talk strategy." She explained as she continued up the stair case.

"More newborns for me!" Emmett declared and it sounded like he was dancing.

"I am seriously going to cut you off," Rosalie threatened, smacking him as she passed.

"Aww, come on babe..."

"I'll deal with you later. Our sister needs us right now,"

Esme just about exploded when she heard Rosalie address me as her sister. I think I may have started to sob again. My head was fuzzy and my eyes already stung like a bitch so I couldn't be sure. The room door was thrown open and I was knocked straight out of my curled up position by a pixie-sized canon ball that had attached itself to my chest, hugging me like it was responsible for holding me together.

"Alice, I'm fucking naked under here..." I muttered, trying to get her off of me and failing.

"Sorry," She whispered, trying to move her body and straighten out the towel covering me before I was exposed again. Unfortunately, she didn't quite manage the second part of that quick enough and Esme and Rosalie gasped. Alice's eyes were like saucers, Esme looked devastated and Rosalie looked like she wanted to murder someone.

"I have to go, Edward is about to call," Alice said. Her lips barely moved and she was barely audible over the deafening silence that had filled the room.

"Alice, take Esme downstairs. I want to talk to Kali," Rosalie said. She was staring at the wall and her fist was clenched so hard that I was truly convinced she wouldn't be happy until she put it through something. I was so focused on Rosalie that I didn't notice the others clear the room. Rose's glare was trained on the wall in front of her as she sat at the far edge of my bed. Even in profile, her rage was evident. "Kali, are you alright?"

I lied so quickly, I barely noticed it slipping through my lips. "I'm fine." I was uncomfortable, my eyes stung, I was thoroughly embarrassed and I was sitting in very close proximity to someone who, until about eighty-four seconds ago, I was sure hated my stinking, immortal guts.

"Bullshit, I saw them," She stated, still focusing her attention on the wall. Why wouldn't she look at me?

I decided that the safest option was to play dumb. "Saw what?"

"The scars,"

"You know about my past... the fighting and-"

"Not those ones, Kali. The other ones" She interrupted me. Her eyes finally moved from the wall and bore into mines.

My highly intelligent response was a simple..." Oh,"

"Who did that to you?" She asked, her voice barely reaching audible levels, even for our kind. It was time to bite the bullet. I was going to get sympathy for this and I really, REALLY didn't want it.

"My sire. What's it to you?"

"Let's just say that I am familiar with THAT kind of pain." Her eyes were pitch black with fury and she was vibrating slightly out of anger. Her whole body was trembling as she tried to reign in the reaction she was experiencing to whatever she was thinking. My brain finally kicked itself into gear and started processing her comment. For her to be familiar with my kind of pain, she would have to have been... OH FUCK!

"Rose, do you want to tell me about it?" I was greeted by a stone cold wall of silence. "I think I can focus enough if you want to show me instead," I offered, gathering my thoughts and trying to train them towards Edward's gift. As Rosalie's hand flinched, I knew she was ready. Her thoughts and memories flooded my over-worked mind.

New York, 1930's. And it was spring time in Central Park. A still glorious human Rosalie was walking arm in arm with a handsome young man; A engagement ring on her finger. She was warm and happy and felt special. The images shifted again and it was night time now. Rosalie walked along a cobbled street, her arms wrapped around herself against the chill in the air. I could see the end of a street and a street lamp. A group of drunk young men were standing in the yellow glow of the lamp and one of them recognised Rosalie. The whole group leered and grabbed at her, ripping her jacket from her shoulders and fisting their hands in her hair. They had pulled chunks of it out at the roots and threw her to the ground roughly.

Rosalie's memories of the park had the fuzzy sheen that human memories took on, but she remembered every minute detail of her attack. She remembered how painful her bruises were. She remembered how cold and wet the cobbles on the street as they pressed against her back. She remembered how foul the smell of whiskey was on their breath as they leaned over her. She remembered one face more than the others; the one that had burned it's way into her vampire memories so she would never be rid of it. The man's face drifted towards me out of the darkness and I felt sick. it was the young man from the first memory in the park. Her fiance.

_"Jesus fucking Christ!"_ I exclaimed, shoving Edward's gift as far back into my head as they would go. I was gasping for breath and I was terrified. I felt everything that Rosalie had and it was excrutiating. "I didn't know..."

"Neither did I," She countered, shooting a loaded glance at my more... intimate scars. "Do you remember?"

"No. I'm pretty sure that my sire helped himself while I was too lost in the burn to feel anything else. The extra venom from the bites had noting on what was already burning through me." I muttered.

Rosalie and I sat in silence for a little while, each of us lost in our own heads until a rather flustered Edward barged into the house. Taking half a second to read the thoughts around him, he tore up the stairs like a fucking tornado.

"Here comes the drama queen," Rosalie snickered. I couldn't help but join in. Edward burst his way into my room, knocking the door clean off the hinges and leaving it in a heap of firewood at his feet.

"You are replacing that, you jackass," I warned.

He ignored me. "Kali, are you alright?"

"If one more person or vampire asks me that, I am going to remove a vital body part and throw it in the fucking river."

"But I saw from everyone..." His eyes made a quick, sweeping evaluation of my body, clearly checking for injuries. This was fucking stupid, I was fine.

"Yeah, you saw my scars. And?" I challenged, holding the towel against my body and standing up to face him down.

"Kali, I..." He was speechless. Rosalie was shuddering with silent mirth as I cocked an eyebrow at him.

_**"Kali, I am not taking part in the battle of Friday morning?"**_ I guessed, mimicking his voice perfectly.

His concern turned to defense. "She cajoled me into it. Guilted me..." He said, looking at the floor.

"Edward, I love ya, man. But you are fucking pussy whipped." He growled at me as the rest of the house rocked with some very loud laughter.

* * *

_**Author note- Thanks again for reading and hopefully you liked it enough to review and let me know. **_

_**Thanks to Content1 again for all her help. **_

_**The next one is called 'Preparations and Propositions.' there will be a little sneaky peek for all reviewers. **_

_**Kalika87 (Amanda)  
**_


	24. Preparations and Proposals

_**Author note- Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. You guys make my want to happy dance. **_

_**Thanks to Content1 for all her help, advice and support. She is the wonder-beta extraordinaire!**_

_**Here we go, pretty much just a filler chapter before we get back to the battle plans. I think a little light relief is called for. We got the Cullen army officers having their little council meeting and a nice little one-to-one brother sister moment. Fluff for the most part. **_

_**I don't own Twilight or any of the copyrighted and trademarked shit in this story. My ridiculous Jasper/ Jackson obsession is enough to distract me from that other stuff anyway. **_

_**Here we go kiddies!**_

_**

* * *

**_

_Chapter 24_

_Preparations and propositions._

When Alice had gone to babysit Bella, me and the boys sat outside on the porch and got down to some serious planning. Jasper was keeping my head cool by blasting me with his own brand of 'Vampire Painkiller' every so often when he felt my pain levels increasing. Between this and my nearly constant smoking, I was feeling better. I ignored the reproachful looks from Carlisle after he first tried to convince me that smoking was bad for my health. I politely reminded him that I was a vampire, technically dead and if the health problems associated with smoking started to appear, I would allow him to tell me _'I told you so.'_ before he treated me for Vampire cancer.

Discussing strategy with Edward and Jasper was...difficult. No amount of convincing would keep Edward in the battle. We needed his gift and the extra pair of hands but he would not be away from Bella. When he discussed what had caused my most recent mind-melting experience, I realised that the dynamic of their relationship was several different kinds of fucked up. Yes, Bella was physically weaker than him, but her spirit and her heart were so much stronger and soared infinitely higher than anything our kind could hope to achieve. She would have fought with everything her frail, human body had for us and I loved her dearly for it.

Edward on the other hand was an entirely different kettle of fish...or elk. His speed, his strength, his innate hunter's sensibilities- not to mention his mind reading- made him physically formidable. But they also left him weak. He was emotionally inferior to Bella because he was terrified. Under all the muscles and the venom, he was a seventeen year old boy dealing with epic, all-encompassing, world shattering, Shakespearean tragic love. He was over one hundred years old. He waited ninety years for Bella and now that he had it, he was fucking it up royally. His superior attitude pissed me off and I could only imagine how frustrating it was for Bella to be subject to his 'I know better because I'm older' mentality. I was truly convinced that his ability as a mind-reader made him think he know everything there was to know... when really, a headless fucking chicken had a better grasp on reality than he did.

"Kali, whatever you are thinking, can you please stop it? Edward is about to pop a blood vessel." Jasper was cringing under the weight of whatever Edward was feeling. Shooting a quick glance at him, I immediately filled my head with random facts that I thought would distract him.

_"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt."_

_Hypnotism is banned by public schools in San Diego._

_In the great fire of London in 1666 half of London was burnt down but only 6 people were injured_

_It's against the law to catch fish with your bare hands in Kansas._

_Over 1000 birds a year die from smashing into windows._

_The national anthem of Greece has 158 verses._

_Windmills always turn counter-clockwise. Except for the windmills in Ireland._

_All porcupines float in water._

"Porcupines?" Edward asked, finally removing the 'you just kicked my dog' look from his face and smirked in amusement.

"Porcupines." I agreed, smiling slightly. This was a waste of our time. It was further proof that the boy couldn't focus on the job at hand.

"Kali, I'm begging ya, Darlin'" Jasper pleaded. Edward had a face like thunder again and I rolled my eyes before connecting with his. They were onyx pools now and further proof of just how screwed this whole fucking thing was. How was he supposed to protect her when he wouldn't leave her to feed? Sure, we were all feeling the burn now, but we were hunting in two days. He, however, wasn't. He wouldn't take long runs for big game; he wouldn't take short runs to hunt deer and elk. I promised one time before graduation to literally hold Bella in place for a couple of hours while he went for a run and hunted, but he wasn't having it. It was beyond frustrating. Bella was in some serious and honestly, rather terrifying danger and she needed him at his best. He couldn't be that if he was suffering from... how shall I put it... Malnutrition.

"Kali..." Jasper moaned, clutching the patio table to steady himself under the weight of the emotions emitted from his brother. There was a muffled crack and several splinters of mahogany stained timber hit the porch decking.

"Shit..." I grumbled, closing my eyes and sighing.

"Esme is going to kick your ass!" Emmett crowed.

"Kali's fault!" Jasper literally pointed the finger at me. I was affronted.

"Fuck off!" I punched Jasper in the arm...hard.

"Kali Cullen!" Esme yelled from inside the house.

"Sorry Esme," What the hell? How did she make me feel like a petulant five year old just by saying my fucking name?

"Was that language really necessary?" She asked, appearing at the back door with her hands firmly placed on her hips.

"Jasper broke the table." I said, hopefully diverting her attention. Jazz's face dropped and his mouth hung open. Carlisle was reigning in the laughter while Edward looked tickled by the current situation.

"You sound like a child, Kali," She pointed out. Well, she had me pegged. I felt like a big kid right now.

"Yeah, but I'm your child, Mom." I said sweetly, batting my eyelashes once. Esme snorted delicately and headed back inside, humming an unfamiliar tune.

"How in the hell do you do that?" Emmett demanded.

"What?"

"Work her like that,"

"She just likes me more..." I teased, ducking out of the way of the ashtray he aimed at my head.

"You are picking that up, McCarty," I growled.

"Bite me, Douglas." he reciprocated the growl, a smile playing on the corner of his lips.

"Back to the matter at hand..." Carlisle said, trying to bring proceedings back to order. I muttered incoherently under my breath as I flashed down the lawn and retrieved my ashtray. I wasn't allowed to smoke in the house and I only got away with it outside if I promised to keep the waste in the little glass dish Alice had picked out for me. Gathering up the cigarette ends, I dug a little hole in the lawn with my foot and buried them. The poor little dead soldiers. "Edward, where are you going to hide Bella?" Carlisle continued, ignoring the funeral service I weas holding for my fallen comrades.

"There is a place in the mountains. It's sheltered... for the most part. We will only be there over night." I didn't have to be in his head to know he was nervous about leaving the family.

"Will you at least reconsider the idea of keeping her with us in the field? He scent will drive the newborns wild and we can all protect her." I said, knowing it was a lost cause, but I committed myself to trying one last time.

"No." He said, jaw clenched and I knew for a fact his hands would be fisted into balls under the table.

"Alright... well, tonight we have to do as much as possible, because you will have to work with the mutts and Bella later."

"Why?" Emmett asked.

"Well, the newborns are hunting her scent, if one of us hides her, they will follow us. They know what a vampire should smell like and they will know she is with us. The wolf... odor... should be enough to mask the freesia and strawberry."

"I don't like it," Edward grumbled.

"Well, you got two choices buddy. One, you can get the wolf to take her to the campsite. Two, you can keep her with _ALL_ of us."

"I'll talk to the mutt."

"Good boy." I winked causing Emmett to choke on his laughter. Jasper was slightly more dignified in his approach, choosing to shudder violently but silently. Torturing Edward was just way too much fucking fun. He was wound so tight all the time, it really didn't take much to get him to blow his stack.

"Oh, and before Alice gets to you, I thought I should let you know; The next couple of days are going to be interesting. We have training tonight, hunting and scouting tomorrow and then we have final arrangements when we get back. By my calculations, you and Bella have the entire Cullen house to yourselves for a whole night before the battle." I said unabashedly. Even the family members inside the house laughed riotously. I was pretty sure that if Edward could blush, he would be fucking scarlet right now. Emmett fell out of his chair. Jasper doubled over clutching his sides and Carlisle gave up the facade all together and burst out laughing. I knew exactly what I was suggesting, but I didn't imagine it would embarrass him quite that much. I mean, yeah, it would piss him off but nothing like this. They so rarely got to spend any time together and no prying vampire senses could only be a bonus. Besides, he still had so many details to hammer out with her about the battle. Us on the field knew what we were doing now, right down to line formation, but he was still leaving her out of the loop on a lot of things.

I knew that they were going up the side of the mountain with a two man tent, a sleeping bag and a shit load of happy thoughts and wishes. The chances of the mutt and Edward fighting were slim. The chances of Bella injuring herself up the mountain were ridiculous and it was making me apprehensive at best. I really didn't like the family being separated or being one short for the fight, but Edward was stubbornly stuck on protecting Bella all by himself... like he had something to prove. Unfortunately, the happy fucking couple had made this decision without consulting the family and now wouldn't be budged. Fucking kids.

* * *

"Good, now twist out to the right...**_YES_**! Brilliant, Esme!" I applauded her as she dodged an attack from both Alice and Rosalie. My sisters were now lying flat on their back with Esme standing over them like a lioness with a migraine. Her face was glorious in her determination and focus. She looked like an angel of destruction and- to be honest with you- if she was, I would have happily watched her burn the world to ash. The training was going a lot easier tonight. Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie were towing the line now and were performing to the standard that myself and Jasper were expecting. Edward, despited his newly imposed 'benched' status, was watching everything. Learning and focusing and helping with maneuvers. The only problem we now had was Emmett. He was definitely the toughest nut to break.

Emmett still considered the whole thing a joke, never taking the fact that we had a horde of feral newborn vampires coming at us seriously until I broke him. After about an hour, I made it my sole purpose for the rest of the training session to destroy him. I took him aside to work with him on my own for a bit. I settled on kicking his arse- I mean training- him a lot over the next sixty minutes. I had ground him down, shoved him around and pissed him off so much that I think there may have been an audible snap inside his head when he finally lost control and lunged for me and meant it. On little glance at Rosalie with the same killer attitude that had worked for Carlisle and Esme was all it took. I didn't want to push it to that point, God knows I didn't. But if it was the only way that I could get him to do what was necessary, then so fucking be it. Jasper and Edward caught him mid-lunge and Carlisle helped pin him to the ground as he rode out his blood lust. I stayed back from him after that. I didn't come within sniffing distance of him until he settled back down and even THAT took forty-five minutes. Once it was safe, I took a couple of tentative steps forward and apologised. I was gripped in the strongest bear hug he could give and I thought he may have broke something after I was released again. My heart burst with pride at how well he and the rest of our family had done.

Scanning around our aforementioned family, myself and Jasper were seeping pride all over the place. He felt mines and it sort of overloaded his system or something because a good twenty feet radius around him was buzzing with it. The individual techniques of our family was fantastic. Their group co-operation was practically flawless and their mental attitude was improving with every passing second. We were ready. I wasn't sure the same could be said for the wolves. They had only send Jacob and two other wolves tonight and they stood at the far end of the clearing and away from the main training session. I had been too busy to notice before but as I moved to take a seat on a medium sized rock that jutted out of the flat grass, I saw Bella sitting on the ground and leaning into the Jacob-wolf's side and running her fingers through the fur on the back of his head and neck.

Edward's head snapped to my direction and then followed my gaze which was still trained on Bella. His defeated expression just about crippled me. He looked so hurt and lost that my heart just broke for him. I had the most incredible urge to run over, lift Bella off of the ground and shake some sense into her apparently thick head. Whether she knew it of not, she was stringing Jacob along and hurting him and Edward in the process. Her selfishness was impressive even by humanities standards. How did she not see what she was doing to them both? If she did know what she was doing, she would have set a precedent for cruelty.

"Kals, why the hell are you an emotional wreck right now? If it were possible, I would have whiplash." Jasper took a seat beside me, studying the sparring pairs that were scattered around us. I sighed, leaned to the side and resting a head on his shoulder.

"I was just thinking about some things that didn't make sense,"

"Did you find some clarity?"

"You, brother, of all people would know if I had," I teased, wrapping an arm around his waist in a kind of half hug. I let my eyes sweep across the clearing. "They are ready, Jazz."

"I don't think that they have anything more to learn. They know more than enough to get them through this." He said, grabbing my hand and pulling me vertical. "Alright, everyone. That's it." he called. The skirmishes around us stopped immediately and our family turned to us.

"You are all ready now," I said, taking a step forward. "Tomorrow we hunt and Friday, we fight." Emmett whooped, punching the air with his fist and earning groans and rolling eyes from everyone around him.

"Edward, we need to test the scents now," Jasper said. His brother nodded in agreement and waited for Bella to walk to him.

"Right, everyone else, let's go home." I suggested but making it clear that any other plan wasn't up for discussion. I turned on heel and motioned for the family to join me and was pleased that I heard them behind me as I flew through the forest and headed for home.

"Will they be alright?" Esme asked as we hopped the river, landing on the lawn.

"they will be fine, Esme," I assured her. "they are just making sure that Bella's scent can be masked."

"Do you think it will work?"

I couldn't help but laugh at that question. "Have you smelled the wolves? If that doesn't work, nothing will!"

"How's Bella this morning?" I asked Edward as he walked passed my room door to get to his own. He poked his head around the door frame and jerked his head towards his room in a motion that indicated I should follow him. I climbed out of the chair I had occupied all night, placing my copy of Tess of the D'Urbervilles that Carlisle had loaned me and I walked with him. Once we were inside his room, he closed the door and indicated for me to sit. Seeing as he had an uncharacteristic heap of shit on his sofa, it left the bed as the only option. I watched him as I perched myself on the edge of the quilted mattress and wondered why in the hell he was putting on thrash metal. Hmm... I never had him pegged as a Slayer fan.

"I'm not really," He said quietly, just loud enough to be heard by myself and no-one else. "I just find that it masks speech quite well."

Cryptic fucker. "I asked you a question," I pointed out, folding my arms across my chest.

"I know you did. Hold on a second," he replied, flitting over to his walk-in wardrobe and back again before I had time to properly register the movement. He was one fast fucking vampire. He sat in the middle of the bed, his legs crossed under him and I immediately copied his position, dropping my hands into my lap rather than have them hover aimlessly like Edward's did against the quilt.

"Will you answer me now?" I asked, watching him as he fidgeted. Something was seriously wrong. Vampires _DO NOT_ fidget.

"Sorry," He mumbled, glancing at something that was sitting in his hand. "Kali, I am nervous."

"About what?" I asked, really starting to panic.

"Can I show you?" he asked, turning something small and black in his hands over and over. I held out my hand and he placed the black velvet box into it. It was a ring box...

"Oh, Edward! Of course I will!" I teased, just about managing to get the sentence out before dissolving into a shuddering, giggling mess. Edward chuckled at my reaction, but didn't appear to be phased my it. The boy was learning. "May I?" I asked, gliding my thumb over the lid of the box once I had regained some composure. I waited almost impatiently until he nodded. This was his thing and we would talk about it at his speed. When he _FINALLY_ gave me the go ahead, I pinched it on either side and opened the hinges on the box.

The ring was nothing short of stunning. Rarely was I at a total loss for words, but this piece of art managed it. I think my brain even went silent. The delicate weave diamonds was supported on a web of pure yellow gold. The band itself was thin and smooth. The precious stones glistened in the dull, diffused light. With the enhanced sight that I- all too often- took for granted, I could see the colour, cut and clarity of each of the diamonds and was blown away. The piece was truly priceless.

"Edward, it is beautiful. An antique?"

"It was my mother's," He said, smiling slightly.

"Esme's?"

"No... MY mother's,"

"Bella will love it." I stated, knowing for a fact that it would scare the shit out of her before she had a chance to appreciate it.

"How did you know who it was for?" He asked.

"Well, it IS an engagement ring, Edward. And as much as I love you, you haven't even taken me out to dinner yet."

His chuckle turned into a full blown guffaw as he threw his head back and belly laughed. It made my insides warm and fuzzy seeing him like this. He was always so controlled and reserved and it felt like a true blessing to see him exhibit any sort of real emotion. Whether it be happiness, anger, hurt, love or hate- They were all precious and I was so proud of the fact that he trusted me enough to share them with me. Every laugh, growl, sob and moment of levity was a privilege.

"Are you asking her to marry you, Edward?" I focused my gaze on him. He looked nervous as hell now.

"Yes," He whispered, his eyes trained onto his long fingers that were folded together and resting on his lap.

"I'm happy for you, Brother. I really am." I reached across the space between us and took his hand in my free one. "Look at me, Edward. I'm not talking to the top of your head- It doesn't have ears." I placed the ring box on the bed beside him and put my hands on either side of his face, pushing his head up and forcing him to look into my eyes. "Why are you so nervous?"

"What if she says 'no'?" He murmured, barely audible over the sound of Kerry King hitting another killer Slayer solo.

"Then she would be a Class-A idiot." His responding growl made my shoulders shrug and my eyes roll. "Oh for fuck sake, Edward! I love that girl and I would kill most of the known world to protect her, but if she doesn't allow you to put that stunning work or art onto her finger, she would be a stone-wall fool!"

"you seem so certain..."

"Edward, she will fight you on this. She will moan and complain about how being eighteen makes her too young and 'What will people say?'. She will make you feel like an old fucking codger who should be thinking about the Sunday crossword and not weddings and honeymoons. It's your job to be honest with her, love her and make her as happy as you possibly can. No more bubble wrap, no more hesitancy. Just you and her against the world."

"Thank you, Kali," He whispered and it is suck a reverent decree that it makes my insides go to mush and I have to physically fight the urge to ruffle his hair and say 'Awwwww'.

"What are you wearing tonight?" I asked, launching myself off of the bed. He looked down at his jeans and long sleeved white top and shrugged his shoulders. Alice screeched from somewhere downstairs, causing both of us to flinch. "I got it, Alice," I called, dragging Edward to his closet. "Are you trying to give her a heart attack? You were going to propose to my little sister in the clothes you have laid around in since you left her? I don't fucking think so."

"You sound like Alice," He grumbled, watching as I raked through his closet like a tornado.

"Yeah, and for once, I agree with her. You should be dressed more appropriately." I slid shirts backwards and forwards until something shouted 'Marry Me Bella!'. Simple, black dress trousers and the sexiest pale blue shirt he had in here.

"Is this going to take long?" He moaned. God, he sounded like Bella when he did that.

"Here, you are to wear these tonight," I tossed the clothes at him which he grabbed in mid air and threw them onto his bed in defeat. "Don't wear shoes or socks. You will look more comfortable barefoot and wear your leather cuff. Every time Bella looks at it, her heart dances a tango."

"I take it back," Edward said, stepping away from me like I was a ticking time-bomb. "When you get going, you are worse than Alice." He retrieved the ring box from the bed so it wasn't lost in the chaos.

"You ain't seen nothing yet, kid," I teased, walking to him and giving him a squeeze around the middle. His arms wrapped around my shoulders and pressed me against him in that special, 'I'm your big brother' way.

"Kali, if I haven't said it already, I'm really glad you chose to stay with us."

"Good, because you guys are stuck with me. You ain't getting rid of me, ever."

"I sincerely hope so..."

* * *

**_Author Note- There ya have it folks, chapter 24! The next one is called scouts of war. Everyone begins their battle preparations._**

**_Thanks again to Content1. There just arent words..._**

**_Thanks to those who read and review them. Each little message makes me want to hi-five people. _**

**_Kalika87 (Amanda)_**


	25. Scouts of War

**_Author Note- Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. I love and appreciate every single email and message I receive._**

**_Thanks to Content1 for her help and ideas. You are awesome. =P_**

**_Here we go... Scouts Of War._**

**_SM owns twilight. I just fuck it up for my own amusement. _**

**_Does anyone have a spare Jasper I can borrow? I want to teach him naughty things. *winks*_**

* * *

_Loneliness can be conquered only by those who can bear solitude. _

_Paul Tillich_

_Who knows what true loneliness is - not the conventional word but the naked terror? To the lonely themselves it wears a mask. The most miserable outcast hugs some memory or some illusion. _  
_ Joseph Conrad_

_

* * *

_

**_Chapter 25_**

**_Scouts Of War._**

"Emmett, piss off! I called dibs on the bear!" I screeched as we sprinted towards the caves on the east side of the mountain base. There were nesting bears in the caves that ran along the south side of the mountain.

"Bullshit! First come, first served!" I felt him speed up, fast on my heels.

"I let you have the last one. It's nice to share," I countered. "You get deer tonight."

"If I find you a lion, can I have the bear?" He bartered. Like I would _ever_ turn down a lion... What the hell kind of question was that?

"Fine, but if I get to that bear first, I'm having it." Mountain lion was my absolute favourite but denying Emmett a bear was just too good an opportunity to miss. It was guaranteed to piss him off. He smirked at me and shot off in a different directions. I knew that this mountain was populated with lions as well and either animal appealed to me at this point. The rest of my family had all spread out to hunt. They left me on my own while I sated my thirst. I could sense where they were, of course, but I was still uncomfortable feeding around others. Other than the training sessions, I kept my true, animal self locked away, safe and secure, only to be brought out when I hunted. I let myself be free when I hunted and that meant that I didn't trust myself to hunt properly around the others yet. I couldn't guarantee that I would be able to stop myself from hurting them if they got to close.

"KALS! I GOT ONE!" Emmett boomed, his yell rattling the limbs of nearby trees and dislodging a few loose boulders on the mountainside. He galloped towards me with one very alive, very awake and very pissed off mountain lion on his shoulder. The front of his shirt was fucked- torn to ribbons of material by the claws from the lion.

"Go get the bear, Emmett," I said as he dropped it rather unceremoniously onto the ground, beamed at me and bolted to the south side of the mountain. The lion in front of me was a truly beautiful specimen. She was lean, well muscled and from the amount of hissing and clawing she was doing, she was feisty. I said a silent prayer for my clothes before slipping into a crouch. I was hunched down, sitting on my heels with my hands pressed into the firm, rocky ground in front of me. The lion hissed again, swiping her paws at the open space between us. My lips pulled back over my teeth as I unlocked my monsters cage, allowing the animal to be turned loose and run rampant through me. A deep, visceral growl broke free from my chest as i inched closer to my quarry. With every movement the lion made, I could feel it's heart pulsing at a more frantic pace. On the underside of it's neck, I could see the artery twitch with every beat, setting my throat to a ragged itch. I took one final step, letting a smile pull my lips closed as I released the coils in my muscles and I pounced.

In midair, I caught the lion, grabbing it around the neck and head. With a sharp twist, the bones cracked and the wrestling cat fell still. I landed on my feet, holding the lion in my arms as I lowered my mouth to it's neck. My teeth cut through the fur, muscle and fat until they hit home and the warm blood flooded my mouth. As the liquid washed over my tongue and down my throat, I let out a low moan and pulled the beast closer to my chest. The sensation of warm blood when one is thirsty could only be described as something similar to orgasmic. The release, the quenching of need, the frenzy was all similar. The moans continued until I had pulled every last drop from the animal. I grunted my disapproval as I dropped the empty carcass and began to dig a hole to bury it. I could feel the warmth of my kill radiate through my body, working it's way from my stomach, through my entire being, warming my fingers and toes. My skin glistened in the moonlight, it's colour taking on a very pale pink blush. I took a couple of seconds, just admiring the change in my skin tone like I always did. Once my kill was in the ground, I searched out another.

One lion and two deer later, I was almost uncomfortable full. My insides were sloshy and the venom in my system was surging like crazy and it felt wonderful. The post-kill buzz was in full effect and I felt oddly playful, so I took to the trees, waiting at the very top of a tall pine, waiting on Jasper to finish his hunt. Thankfully, I didn't have to wait long.

"Kali, is there any particular reason why you are stuck up a tree?" Jasper called, from the ground directly below me. I smirked, narrowed my eyes onto a spot on the forest floor right next to him and leaped. I whistled through the hair, the pony-tail at the nape of my neck whipped around with the air movement and I landed in a crouch less than a foot away from him. "Was that really necessary?" He asked, tapping his foot quickly.

"Absolutely," I smiled, grinning like a nut-job.

"You ready to go?"

I sobered up pretty quickly at the question. "Yeah, do the others know?"

"I told them before I came to find you."

"Let's move then, I want in and out of Seattle before daybreak, We have a lot of work to do." I began to work my way through the forest with Jasper by my side. I had the Golf parked not far from here and it was the best car I had for this last trip. Small, fast and discrete...it was perfect. We moved in silence until we heard movement behind us. One sniff of the air and I caught rosewater and lilies carrying on the breeze.

"Rosalie? What's wrong?" I asked as she approached us.

"I'm coming with you," She said, never breaking stride and walking right past us in the direction of my car.

I shrugged. "Fair enough," and moved alongside her in silence until the three of us were at the car and inside it.

"So, how do you want to do this tonight, Jazz?" I asked as I put on my seat belt and turned the engine over.

"Maybe we should get into the center of the city? Try and pick up a scent?" He suggested quietly from the back seat. I nodded my agreement at the same time as Rosalie gave hers. I put the car into gear and we hit the road.

* * *

Seattle, for me, had always looked peaceful at night. Although it was the epitome of a modern, civilised city with constant nightlife and movement, it always held a sense of calm and order. Tonight was different. Something about this place had my nerves tingling and my senses piqued. I parked the car just next to the sound and got out. Jasper and Rosalie followed me out and stood by my side.

"I don't smell anything here," Rosalie whispered. I took a deep breath through my nose and got his with salt water, stale beer, diesel and human. Yum... or maybe not.

"We should move around and see if we can pick anything up," Jasper's suggestion made my head scream in protest.

"I don't know, Jasper. Something feels _really_ off about this place today." I muttered, the muscles in my arms and legs tensed as I fought the urge to bolt for safety... but from what?

"Why do you feel like that?" He asked.

"I don't know. As much as I don't want to stay here, I don't think we should move either." There was a mini-battle going on inside my body. If it continued much longer, I might have torn myself apart.

"Let's stay here for a bit and then move," Rose whispered.

"I think that would be best," I agreed. "We can always come ba-" I stopped talking. I stopped moving. I even stopped breathing. My vision was trained onto the other side of the sound. Jasper and Rosalie followed my stare and instantly froze. Vampires appeared at the opposite bank and silently slipped into the water. I did a quick head count... twenty one heads sank below the surface.

"It's them Jazz," I whispered almost inaudibly.

_"Holy shit..." _Rosalie found her voice and used it to swear like...well, me. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the army in front of me. There was a huge difference between knowing about twenty-one newborns and seeing them. This was terrifying.

"They are hunting," Jasper said, finally able to speak. "I can feel their thirst."

"Hunting in the water?" Rosalie asked. I watched as the army swam further out into the open water, heading for a small cargo ship on the way into the docks.

"Oh God!" I breathed. My eyes widened with horror and I couldn't remember how to move again. "Those people..."

As much as Rosalie never had much regard for humanity on the whole, when I turned to look at her, she was devastated. Just looking at her reaction made me love her just a little bit more, but I felt ill at the thought of those people on the boat. Jasper's face was a hard, unreadable mask and I have no problem admitting that I was too scared to use Edward's gift to look inside his head. I didn't need to see the horrors he was replaying in his head. I could watch them on his face. My attention went back to the boat when the lights cut out and the vampires attacked.

The screams of the humans reached the shore and my chest felt like it had been shot through with ice water. I felt cold and numb as unbidden images of a massacre flooded my mind. The light breeze that blew towards us carried the scent of saltwater and human blood. My throat burned as I fought to control my recently unleashed beast. Rosalie covered her mouth and nose with her hands and Jasper had stopped breathing altogether, locking every single muscle in place. I grabbed his wrist, shoving up the sleeve of his sweater and placing my fingers around his forearm, iron-tight and forced myself to feel nothing but support for him as he struggled with his instincts. He mouthed a quick 'Thank You' as the screaming intensified. My eyes stung and my chest heaved. My heart was breaking for the souls on that boat. The sheer number of losses and ruined families was overwhelming. Then I got angry.

I was fucking pissed off!v There was no need for that. If was disgusting and it was a disgrace to our kind and our secretive way of life. Not only was the volume of lives lost unforgivable, but the breach to our secrecy was deplorable.

"How could that do this?" Rose asked, her voice trembling as her horrified eyes stayed glued to the slaughter in front of us.

"Their army needs to feed," Jasper said quietly after he got his blood lust under control. "This is the most effective way." His clinical look on this situation made the venom in my system run cold. I knew it was his coping method. He had his military mind in gear to help him process everything, but I _really_ didn't like it.

The screaming finally stopped and my heart fractured again. I knew that as soon as the noise stopped, everyone on board would be dead.

"Three cheers for Riley!" A female voice called and a chorus of responses sounded. It made me feel physically sick. If it were possible for me to do it, I would have had a puddle of lion and deer blood at my feet.

"This is only a taste of how it could be," A different voice said, addressing the other young ones on the boat. "Now let's sink this scow so we can go home!"

Nothing happened at first, but then the metallic, teeth gritting sound of shredding steel cracked the air and grated on my already stretched and fragile nerves. The boat jerked under the eternally powerful hands as they tore the hull to pieces. My mind noted that two of the newborns retreated from the vessel before it sank, watching the destruction as the midsection hit the water with a gran and a splash. The bow and stern sections rose- almost gracefully- out of the water.

"It's almost over," Jasper breathed, not daring to even whisper as we watched the vessel finally succumb to the strength of the newborns, losing it's valiant struggle to stay afloat. The stern sank seconds after the bow in a flurry or bubbles and metallic groaning.

"We have to get out of here..." I said quietly through gritted teeth. I pulled on Jasper's arm, dragging him away from the bank. I realised at some point, I had stopped restraining him and was using him for support. Although, to be fair, I think we were all using each other for that. When we got to the car, Rosalie wasn't with us. She was stood next to the sound, and completely frozen. "Oh for fuck sake, Rose shift your arse! Jasper, go get her!" I rolled my eyes and got in the car, stuffing the keys in the ignition and turning the engine over quietly. Jasper walked quickly to his sister, placing a hand in the small of her back and whispered something that ever I didn't hear. She complied at once, following his lead and getting into the back of the car. Once she was seated, she immediately leaned forward, covering her perfect face with her hands and staying like that. Jasper's ass barely hit the seat before I gunned it away from the bank and back towards the inner city.

I pulled the car over about twenty minutes from the Seattle house and rummaged in my pockets for three things. One, my mobile phone. Two, my cigarettes. Three, my lighter. Rosalie smelled the tobacco and sat up, looking at me like I lost my mind.

"Don't even bother, Rose. It's been a shit night," I warned, lighting one of my little pieces of heaven and lit it. I buzzed down a window and took one massive draw.

"They taste god-awful!" Jasper protested, waving a hand in front of his face while remembering some kind of experimentation with them previously.

"They help with the smell of human blood, tainting how it smells," I pulled another lungful of Menthol-y goodness. "Maybe you should give them a go, Jazz..." I teased. "Phone our father. He will be worried." Jasper nodded once and used my phone to dial the number.

_"Kali?"_ Carlisle answered on the first ring and sounded more than anxious.

"It's Jasper,"

_"Is everything alright?"_

"We are finished in the city. We are around twenty minutes away from Kali's house. Esme knows the way."

_"We are around thirty minutes from there, son,"_

"The way I get there, it will be fifteen minutes when we get there, Jazz," I said, putting the car into gear with my cigarette hanging unceremoniously out of the corner of my mouth.

"We will meet you there," Jazz concluded before sliding the phone closed and placing it in the small well under the handbrake.

"To my house then?" I asked, released the aforementioned handbrake and driving on the familiar road leading home.

I pulled the Volkswagen into the upper floor of my garage. The only space left in there was that for my BMW and my Zonda, both of which were still occupying prime Cullen garage space. I killed the engine once it was in the BMW's space and got out with Rosalie right behind me. It took me a second to notice that Jasper hadn't moved from the front seat of the Golf, his eyes trained onto the Maserati in the corner.

"Jazz, get the hell out the car," Rose growled. "It's embarrassing." He complied instantly, drifting through the other cars before coming to a halt in front of my Quattroporte. His hand skimmed the back end of the car, trailing his fingers along the roof and down onto the bonnet. Rosalie huffed. "Great, I have to tell my sister that her husband is leaving her for a fucking sports car!"

"Jazz, I swear to god, if you drool onto that car, you will pay for the re-paint and I will fuck your motorbike up." I threatened, flipping on some lights. This place looked like a car showroom sometimes.

"How do you think Alice will take the news, Kali?"

"Probably, rather badly. For some reason, she is fond of soldier boy." Jasper was ignoring us now. His lustful gaze was now polluting the atmosphere and having an effect. "Jasper, knock it off. I don't have a way to get rid of _that_ kind of tension." I picked up a nearby hammer and threw it, bouncing it off his head and onto the floor.

"Sorry," He mumbled, pain in his eyes as he tore himself away from the car as Rose and I laughed our asses off at him. We left the garage and made our way to the house. I needed to shower and change.

"Jazz, Rose, if you want to shower and change, you are more than welcome to. Third door on the left- middle floor for you Jazz. Third door on the right for Rose." I offered.

"Why do you have men's clothing here?" Jazz asked.

"I got Alice to drop off some things a while ago. Mi Casa and all that."

"Stop asking questions..." Rosalie said, flitting upstairs to get changed. Jasper and I followed suit. When I entered my old bedroom, it felt strange- almost like I was visiting instead of coming home. This place, this room in particular, had been so much like a sanctuary for me. I was always lonely here, but I was safest here too. The mixed emotions of the moment had me sitting on the floor at the foot of my rarely used bed with my legs folder under me.

The last few weeks had been some of the hardest of my whole, long life. Pain, anguish, thirst, pride, fear and love were only a handful of the feeling that had fallen onto me. From mind-crushing visions, to tenuous agreements with enemies, to training sessions and the newborn vampire army and psychotic bitch vampire had all tested me to just about my limit and yet, here I stood. In my room and able to think about and process everything without wanting to bang my head off a wall out of frustration. The only reason I had for being able to endure so much in such a short time was that I had to. I had seven people in my life that I loved and needed to protect- two of which were now roaming freely around this house. I felt more at home in my car garage than in this building.

"Kali, they are on the driveway," Rose called from downstairs. So lost in my thoughts was I that I hadn't heard her go downstairs. With some effort, I dragged myself off the floor and quickly stripped out of my clothes, grabbing a grey long sleeve shirt out of one of the drawers next to my bed and slipping into a pair of army green combats. I left my feet bare, enjoying the feel of the thick pile of the carpet between my toes. I tied the front of my hair back, leaving the rest to tumble down my back in a mass of long auburn curls that trailed down to my waist. I made for the door, turning to take in my former sanctuary on more time, unsure if I would ever be back here. I smiled wistfully before heading down to meet the family.

"Come on in, guys," I said from the front door as my family appeared at the widening end of the driveway, slowing considerably as they took in the view of the big, red brick house and the two story garage. Emmett's eyes fell onto the barn and displayed the same unbridled lust that Jasper had earlier. "Em, tour is later. Discussion now."

His face fell slightly but headed towards me with the others. Rosalie came to stand beside me and when she spotted her mate, she launched herself off of the porch and crashed into him with the sound of a high speed collision. I understood that reaction. After what Rosalie, Jasper and I had been witness to, I wouldn't deny them that comfort. What we had seen was monstrous. Jasper had turned up, ghosting towards Alice at unfathomable speeds before performing an 'all stop' a foot from her face and gazed into her eyes. She matched his gaze and I forced myself to look away. It was an intense reunion that no spoken words in any language could have held a candle to. I was glad that my brother and sister had their mates to take solace in; a safe harbour to lay during the shit storm we were stuck in. I was just - once again- envious of the fact that I lacked that kind of support.

"Kali, you have a beautiful home here," Carlisle said, stepping to the front of the reunited group.

"House, Carlisle. I have a beautiful house here. My home is about an hours drive away from here," I said, narrowing my eyes teasingly. "That is a lovely home. Its big and white and it's in a meadow and-"

"Alright, alright..." he grinned and gave me a quick hug.

"Let's get inside," I suggested. "Myself and the Hales have had an eventful night."

"Really?" Emmett asked, finally putting Rosalie back onto her feet.

"It was horrific." Rosalie shuddered against Emmett's huge chest.

"Like I said, inside?" I gestured to the front door before walking through it. Everyone followed behind me as I lead them down the main hall, passing two living rooms, my music room and my kitchen before opening the door at the bottom of the hall. This was my own little den. It was the smallest reception room in the house and the most comfortable. The black leather corner sofa lay against the wall opposite the door. The other sofa, made of red leather, sat against the west wall under the window with a huge leather reclining armchair in the corner next to the door. The floor was carpeted with a thick pile, muted gold while the walls were a deep blood red. The lighting was enough to brighten the room, but soft enough to keep it warm. It was one of my favourite rooms in this house. I sat on the single chair, allowing the couples to sit together. I waited until everyone was seated before we began.

"First things first... Did you know, Alice?" I asked quietly. Her face turned down and she stared into the carpet.

"I saw it after you guys left," She squeaked. "I saw that if I told you, you guys would have tried to stop it and got hurt."

"Can you show me?" I asked, focusing on her mind as she nodded. Her memories showed the three of us standing on the edge of the sound, waiting for the newborns to appear. The fight that would have occurred would have been astonishing. We would have taken apart eight of the young ones before Rosalie fell. Myself and jasper took out another six before I lost an arm and Jazz lost a leg. We fought, gathering Cullen body parts as we went. Jazz held a broken Rosalie while I held him on my back and ran. "Well... that wouldn't work." I stated, bringing myself back to reality.

"Definitely not," She agreed.

"Did you tell them?" I asked, motioning with my head towards the rest of my family. Alice shook her head swiftly. "Well, I guess it's up to us then, guys?" I said to Jazz and Rose. Rosalie shook her head aggressively. The screams she heard would be forever etched into her brain. No amount of time would allow those to fade and I knew that even a passing glance at the memories would hurt. She seemed to be employing the 'If I don't talk about it, it didn't happen' approach. I looked to Jasper, silently pleading with him to do this. I couldn't. My heart broke every single time I thought about it. Jasper sensed my utter desperation and nodded once. He took a deep breath to steady himself and he began.

I focused on his ability as much as I could, pushing varying waves of calm and support towards him as he spoke. His tone was flat, almost robotic as he recounted the evenings tragedy. As he spoke, I allowed myself to drift back to the banks of the sound. In retrospect, I was able to discern how many heartbeats I had heard, the different cadences in the voices on board.

One hundred and twenty-four.

One hundred and twenty-four lives lost.

One hundred and twenty-four broken families.

One hundred and twenty-four murders in the pursuit of vengeance.

It was repulsive. Jasper finally finished speaking, sagging back into the sofa. Slice leaned against him, pulling her tiny hand through his messy blonde curls as she tried to comfort him. Emmett was running his hand up and down Rosalie's arm and Carlisle and Esme were holding hands looking just horrified. As I scanned the room again, I felt horribly lonely. It amazed me how one was able to be sat in a room, literally surrounded with people and still feel such debilitating solitude. Jasper lurched on the sofa sitting bolt upright and boring his eyes into mine. I saw every emotion I was feeling exhibited on his face. The pain in his eyes was another form of heartache. I was out of my seat, excusing myself and bolting down the hallway towards the one place in this whole fucking property that still felt like home. I ignored the rooms to my left and right, knowing that none of them would provide the shelter that I was used to. I was out the front door and in front of the barn a lot quicker than I thought I would be. I screamed it up the ramp on to the second floor and hid behind my hummer. Yes, I- the six centuries old vampire- was hiding behind a car and bawling like a child. My eyes burned venomous tears that, no matter how hard I squeezed my eyes shut, wouldn't fall. My chest heaved and fell with racking sobs shaking my frame. My hans balled into fists, one of which was pressed to my mouth trying to stifle the inhuman sound of pain that I didn't bother trying to fully contain.

"Kali?"

I didn't even bother to look up at them. "Can you just leave me alone for a minute, please?" I almost recoiled from the hand that touched my shoulder.

"Not likely, sis," Emmett whispered, picking me up off of the floor and placing my on the hood of the hummer. "Now, what's all this for?" He asked, staring into my stinging eyes.

"Please, just go to Rosalie, Emmett. She needs you."

"Well, as far as I can tell, she isn't playing hide and seek and bawling like a bitch." He teased. " Plus, I got more than enough love to go around!" That little declaration caused me to splutter a little.

"Don't be too liberal with it. Rosalie will cut it off," I said, lowering my eyes to his belt buckle and he yelped at the insinuation.

"Best try to keep it to a minimum..." He muttered before raising his eyes back to me. "So, what gives?"

"It's just been a rough night, Em." I tried to blow him off, but it just wasn't gonna work.

"Bullshit. The three of you have had a rough night, Kals and you are the only one in this mess."

"Fuck you, Emmett" I growled.

"That would countermand the free love policy we just put in place," He quipped. "Tell me why you are upset."

"No,"

"Fucking tell me!"

"Piss off!"

"I will when you tell me!"

"Honestly, I don't know..."

"Bollocks!" He roared. My eyes widened in surprise before I laughed. "What? You say it all the time..."

"Emmett, do you know what that word means?" I asked through another spasm of laughter. He shook his big head. "It means _'testicles'_, Emmett. You basically just told me I was talking balls."

"Wel..."

"Oh, fuck off, Emmett," I growled again. Why couldn't he just leave me alone?

"Kali, you can talk to me here or I can pick you up, toss you over my shoulder and drag you into the house and we can talk in front of everyone."

"You are a manipulative big shit, Emmett Cullen," I spat.

"Kali, I'm not gonna tell anyone. Just talk to me, please?" And then he did it. He pulled out the mother of all puppy-dog eyes and pouty lips that would have melted Ghenis Khan's heart.

"I got lonely, okay?" I mumbled quickly. "I had a shit night, I watched One hundred and twenty-four people get murdered for fucking nothing. I got scared. I was heartbroken, confused, angry and I had no-one to shove all that onto. Jazz had Alice and you have Rose and Carlisle and Esme have each other and don't get me started on Bella and Edward. What do I have? I have an empty house I can barely stomach being in and a garage full of sports cars that feels more like home that the fucking house. Did I miss anything?"

"Kali, you aren't on your own," Emmett said, slinging an arm around my shoulders and pulling me to him. I wrapped my own arm around his chest and leaned my head onto his shoulder. "Now, I ain't into all that girly shit but I'm here for ya, sis."

"Okay, I give in..." I said, letting him go.

"Huh?"

"I give in. You can be the big brother."

"Oh, I already was..." Arrogant fucker. "So how about that tour now? It will take your mind off things?"

"Anything you want, Em. Anything you want."

* * *

**_Author Note- So there we go, this is how the Cullen's discovered just how bad Seattle was. Well, it's how I thought it would go. Enjoy, let me know what you think. _**

**_Thanks again to content1 and to Bella C'ella Luna (She helps me with punctuation. I suck at it.)_**

**_Next chapter is called One Last Thing. It is the final preparations for the battle. We have that and then two move chapters and then we hit the battle. We are officially in the home stretch for 'Act I' of LNM. Hope you can stick with me. _**

**_Kalika87 (Amanda)_**


	26. Levity

_**Author note- Thanks for all the reads and reviews that i have received recently. You guys just win... all the fecking time. I have readers in New Fucking Zealand... that just blows my mind!**_

_**Thanks to Content1 for all her help and guidance. I've said it all... there aren't the words. **_

_**This is it, last chapter before the battle. Little bit of fluff and a last minute meeting with the wolves. **_

_**SM owns Twilight. I am currently devising a 'Kidnap Jackson Rathbone' plan.**_

_**Here we go kiddies!**_

_**

* * *

**_

**_Man lives freely only by his readiness to die, if need be, at the hands of his brother, never by killing him._**

**_Mohandas Ghandi _**

Chapter 26.

Levity

"We can take the Hummer. It's fueled and we will all fit in it," I said, heading towards the garage with everyone else in tow. It was a little after seven a.m. and we were getting organised to back to Forks. It was Thursday now and we had, by Alice's estimations, about twenty-eight hours to go until it was 'Showtime' and we still had a massive amount to do. We had to make Bella safe, get her away from the fight. Edward would be looking after her so she would be well cared for in that respect. We had to do our final meeting with the wolves before tomorrow. We had to scout the clearing and look for points of attack, defensive positions and work out where everyone would be situated in it for the main fight. It was a lot to do and even though we had our speed and precision going for us, it was still a tall order. There would be a lot of difficulties and problems over the next forty-eight hours and I had taken it upon myself to give the family one last hurrah before the serious shit kicked in. The best way to do that, was residing within the two story barn we were standing in front of. I took the padlock that bolted the two doors shut into my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. It crumbled in my hand and the doors unlatched themselves. "Gimme a hand, Emmett."

I grabbed one door and he grabbed the other and shoved them open and waited for the audible intake of breath. I was not disappointed. There was three statues with open mouths just standing in the open door. As I turned around to guide them in; Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett just glided right in there like they owned the place. I kinda liked that. On the way past me, Jasper looked distracted. I could see the wheels in his head turning over as they processed everything that we still had to do today.

I placed a hand onto his shoulder. "You okay, Jazz?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, darlin' "

"You look like you are trying to disprove Newton's Theory..."

"Maybe I am..." The side of my brother's mouth pulled upward, highlighting two scars on his cheek and on on his eyebrow.

"Don't. The old bugger was right." He was too. Newton was a very intelligent man...obviously. He had a wicked sense of humour though.

"You met him?" Carlisle asked, his eyes bright with enthusiasm.

"Head in the game, old man," Jasper teased, nudging Carlisle as we entered the downstairs area of the garage. The three people who hadn't been in this garage before fell silent.

"Well, I...huh..." Carlisle stuttered as his eyes fell on the cars on this floor. I couldn't help but smirk.

"Eloquent, Dad," Emmett smirked, shoving passed everyone to hit the staircase.

"Are they all yours?" Esme whispered.

"Yeah, I have more in Boston, London, Glasgow and Vancouver," I said, following Emmett up the stairs. As I passed Jasper, I grabbed his wrist. "Come on, Major. Let's go see your mistress." Alice laughed as her eyes fogged over before she followed us. When we got to the top of the staircase they froze again. My eyes rolled. Sure, this was where I kept the 'good cars' and they hadn't been here before or were too busy looking after me to enjoy it properly. "Guys, come in. It's okay. You should see some of the cars in Britain. I keep the classic cars over there. My 1932 Chrysler Kew is one of my favourites."

"I remember those cars..." Carlisle said, weaving his way between the cars. "They weren't very fast, but they were a joy to drive."

"My DB5 is being exhibited in the London Transport Mueseum at the moment. It's being used as part of a display or something."

"You have a James Bond car?" Emmett asked as he hovered next to the EB-110. Not the best Bugatti I had but still... very nice.

"Yes, Emmett, I do. Jazz, if you damage that paintwork on that car, _I will kill you._" My threat just bounced right off of him as he skimmed his hand backwards and forwards over the roof of my Maserati. I swear if he started drooling, I would put him through a wall. "Alice, this is the car Jasper will be leaving you for." I walked over to Jasper, grabbing him around the wrist and removing his hand from my car. "I did offer him a loan of the car, Alice, but I think he might want some alone time with it first." I could only imagine the vision she was having as her eyes fogged over, but whatever her emotional reaction was, it was enough for Jasper to throw out a torrent of lust so strong, my knees actually felt weak.

"Jasper!" I bellowed, taking off a boot and throwing it at his head. "Fucking quit it! Can you at least try and control that?"

"Sorry..."

"I already told you, once this was all over, you and Alice could take it out for a spin. Can you please keep yourself in check until then?"

"I'll try my best," He muttered, wandering back over to the car.

"Jesus Christ... Alice, what time are we due back?"

"Just after two,"

"Right, Jazz, you're with me. Everyone else, go to that cupboard and pick a set of keys. " I followed my own advice and opened the narrow wall cupboard. I lifted my Quarttoporte keys off of the hook, leaving the door on the cabinet open. "The keys are labeled. Pick a car because we are going driving. This house is on twenty-four acres of land with purpose built roads on it." I tossed Jasper the keys in my hand and moved to stand next to him.

"Really?" Jasper mouthed, almost vibrating with excitement.

"Yes, really. You seem to have trouble focusing so, if this is what it takes, then you will drive until you get over it." I opened the passenger door and got in, enjoying the feel of the leather on my bare shoulders and neck. From my seated position, I could see Alice admiring my Audi TT. Emmett had, predictably went for my off-road car; The Bowler Wildcat. Rosalie was eying up my DB8 and my Vantage as Carlisle and Esme - rather predictably- went for the McLaren Merc.

"There is a petrol pump outside the garage if you manage to empty the tanks. You have two hours. If you damage anything, you replace it, I will cripple your vehicles at him and then I WILL kill you. Deal?" I received a number of rushed 'deals' before their voices were drowned out by the purr of the engine underneath me. Jasper's low moan of pleasure was masked by the, now violently, purring engine, but the rumble in his chest sent vibrations throughout the whole passenger compartment. I wasn't sure he was capable of driving in his current state. "Jazz, do you want me t-" My sentence was cut short as the Maserati flew out of the garage and down the ramp, hitting 100mph before we hit the end of the driveway. The others followed us out.

"This is fucking awesome," Jasper murmured, running his hand around the steering wheel in an almost indecent fashion. I just shook my head at his enthusiasm.

"Guys, follow us until I tell you and then you are free to go." A round of horn blasts sounded as I indicated to Jasper to turn left. We reached a crossroads when I yelled 'Go Nuts' to the others, allowing them to drive around me, shooting off in different directions. Jazz chose the right hand road and probably the best road for a car like this. The long straights and sweeping bends brought out the best in Italian sports cars. This road had seven curves and six straights, before it dead-ended at a wide oak tree. The trick was to get the car around the last bend , drop it down two gears and kick the back end out, allowing the car to spin one-eighty degrees before shifting back up one and flooring it. I informed my chauffeur of this and the only response I got was a slightly giddy laugh.

"You won't lose a lot of momentum and it's easier on the $5,000 tyres. Plus, the big tree at the end of the road likes to eat sports cars; so watch it." I warned, pointing a finger in his face. He nodded once before taking the last of the corners at 160mph. I felt the familiar high that could only be achieved by traveling at this speed. The car held beautifully under Jasper's expert touch. His razor sharp reactions pushed the car to it's impressive limit as it flew round the curve. As the twisting tarmac straightened out, he dropped a gear, keeping the revs high before allowing them to drop enough to let the gear drop again. The car slowed dramatically until it was only forty feet from the tree when Jasper dropped the hand brake, and kicking the tail end out to the right, allowing it to swing around, screaming at every one of the 180 degrees he forced it to turn. Just before the car straightened out, he pumped the clutch, jumped a gear and shot off down the road in the direction he just came from.

Jasper was pouring liquid happiness into the car and it was more than contagious. He had the biggest grin on his face and he buzzed with excitement. It made the whole idea worthwhile.

"Kals, this is just fantastic, darlin'" Jasper cooed as he dropped the car below 120, intent on enjoying the drive this time.

"Glad to be of service, Major," I said, bowing my head.

"Why did you do this for us?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, hun, we are twenty-four hours away from a major fight. We have a tenuous relationship with our furry comrades. There is a psycho after our sister and an army of feral newborns coming to rip us to bits. We are killing time playing with sports cars."

"Oh," I breathed, not expecting a question that straight forward. "Well, I guess I thought we could do with the down time. I mean, it's been a rough couple of weeks and it's not gonna be any easier over the next couple of days. I figured we would need to blow off a little steam while we could."

"Thank you," He said, flashing me a grin "And thank you for letting me drive this astonishing vehicle."

"It was my pleasure, sir. Take me back to the garage, will ya? I want to drive my Diablo." I smiled wistfully at the thought of my prized Lambo.

"Yes, Ma'am!" He saluted. I grinned at his southern accent and they way that it pulled at the words. We heard the distant rumbles of the other cars as the sped up and down the roads that weaved through my land. I smiled at the idea that I could do this for them. I hadn't given them much but I could give them this. "You know, I might stay here and hash out a couple of details for tomorrow if you want to stay with me."

We were at the crossroads at the bottom of my driveway and he had just turned the car onto the twisting sloped road. I considered his offer. We could use the extra planning time. Then again, I was going to be fighting for my life tomorrow and I would have liked the opportunity to drive my babies before I lost the ability. I could have done with the head space as well if I was being completely honest with myself. I needed my family more. After about ten seconds, I turned to Jasper, placing a hand on his shoulder and nodding once. He returned the affirmation and killed the engine once we were back inside the garage.

"Kali, you know we are all here for you, right?" Jasper's question came out of the blue and surprised me.

"Yeah, why?"

"You felt lonely, when you left the house earlier. Emmett came to find you,"

"Yeah,"

"Why?"

"No idea." I lied.

"Tell someone who isn't a lie detector, Darlin' " He teased, the corners of his mouth twitching involuntarily.

"How about, after this is finished, we go hunting and talk about it?"

"That would be a great plan, but for the fact that Alice will be in full 'Wedding Planning' mode..."

"God, just the thought of her being... wait... Bella said yes?" I asked, smiling like a fool.

"Alice got the vision of a ring going on he finger last night while we were in Seattle,"

"Jesus, she is gonna be insufferable," I groaned, trying not to imagine the countless dress fittings I would have to endure.

"you have no idea..." Jasper agreed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, trying to alleviate some of the stress that he knew was coming.

The family arrived back at the garage a couple of hours later, just after ten-thirty with huge grins on their faces. The cars were filthy and the Bowler Wildcat was an inch thick with mud, leaves and the combines scents of Emmett and Rosalie was wafting from it as the breeze from the open garage doors hit the car.

"Nice guys, real nice. Please tell me my Aston doesn't smell like that..." I pleaded.

"Passenger space was too small," Emmett shrugged.

"The Vantage has more space than that wildcat," Jasper noted.

"Yeah, but we couldn't take it off road. The suspension would have got all fucked up,"

"I would have ripped you to pieces." I threatened in my very best '_I'm Going To Kill You'_ voice.

"Exactly. The Wildcat could take the strain," Emmett waggled his eyebrows and began to thrust his hips in mid-air in an effort to demonstrate just how that strain would have been applied. I grimaced as I laughed.

"That is just awful, Emmett," I groaned, my hands shielding my eyes from further trauma.

"It's natural, sis,"

"Oh, I know that, Em. Your technique is just terrible though..." I noted critically. The smile that had graced his face fell dramatically as everyone else around us exploded with laughter.

"That was uncalled for," Emmett grumbled.

"Yeah, that's what my Wildcat said." I snickered. Even Rosalie joined in as she descended the spiral staircase.

"You're not gonna stick up for me, Babe?"Emmett demanded as Rose moved away from the stairs.

"I'm just as guilty as you are and I will _NOT_ have my technique called into question." She and Emmett locked fingers as the hilarity hit fever pitch. I gasped loudly as I tried to contain myself, finding it all the more difficult as Jasper wasn't controlling his gift very well- amplifying the hilarity. I managed to focus just long enough to send him a stiff wave of sobriety.

"Thanks," He muttered, before gently easing the comedy levels down to normal.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Carlisle asked, removing any more jovial throughts from the room.

"We're ready," Jasper announced.

"Let's go home,"

"I don't think we will all fit in here," Esme said, eying the hummer doubtfully. She had a point though, if we wanted to get back without drawing attention, two cars would be better than one.

"Well, my golf is here, so we can split between the two. Four in that and three in the beast."

"Can we take the Wildcat?" Emmett asked.

"Em, the only Wildcat you will be getting near from now on is either a mountain lion on Rosalie's p-" I was interrupted by Esme throwing me the mother of all _'Momma Bear Death Glares'_. I swear, one time she gives me that look and it would kill me dead.

"We will take the Golf and the Hummer." Esme said in a tone that left me completely powerless to argue. I nodded once before retrieving the keys for the Golf from my pocket.

"Don't let Carlisle drive it. He drives like a lunatic!"

"There is nothing wrong with my driving!" Carlisle protested mildly before falling victim to a look from Esme that got him so worked up, Jasper flinched and groaned.

"Right, let's get moving. The sky will be overcast until two pm so we will have to be good for cloud cover." Alice declared, climbing into the front seat of the Hummer.

"Why am I taking this if four people fit into the Golf. I could take the TT or something." I bartered as I shoved the keys into the ignition of the Hummer.

"You'll need this car," Alice pronounced.

"Yeah? Why?"

"Just saw that you would."

"Fair enough."

"You should know better by now, Kali," Jasper teased from the back seat.

"Not questioning, Jazz. Just curious." I started the Hummer and pulled out of the garage and down the ramp with the Golf right behind me.

The drive back was uneventful at best. We only stopped when the cars needed refilled, mines twice. Using my petrol-guzzling behemoth was a treat. I hadn't used it since I last moved home two years ago. It was too bulky and conspicuous but it had plenty of space, a fair speed when pushed and it tended to be given a wide berth on the road.

"Oh!" Alice gasped, her smile lighting up her face like a fucking Christmas tree. Jasper just about bounced through the roof with the monster load of excitement that Alice just dumped on him. Then she squealed. I mean, really squealed. It felt like my ears were actually going to fall off.

"Alice, I really don't want to have to pull whatever you are seeing out of your head, so why don't you just tell me?" I asked when she finally quit sounding like a stuck pig.

"I have a wedding to plan!" She squealed again, clapping her hands so hard it sounded like someone breaking rocks. I flinched at the sound, hoping Jasper would calm her the fuck down.

"I'm assuming she is going to let you plan the damn thing then?" I asked. Her excitement peaked and she nodded so fast her head was a blur. "Jazz, calm her down will ya?" A quick blast of peace broke around the car but it barely had an effect on The Pixie. The sedative worked enough to keep her quiet, but she was bouncing up and down like Tigger on speed. We just turned onto the driveway when he mood changed instantly.

"I'm going to kill him!" She growled, looking more vicious than I had ever seen her.

"Kill who?" Jasper snarled, trying to control her rage while seeking out threats.

"Edward!_ He's ruining it!"_

"Come again?" I was confused as all hell now. She was happy with him less than thirty seconds ago. I turned onto the driveway and Alice shifted, preparing to bolt out of the door and assault her brother.

"They are going to sneak off to Vegas!"

"So? Who cares?" I asked and almost immediately regretted it when Alice shot me a look that made my venom run cold.

"I won't let them do it," She growled.

"What you gonna do, Alice? Chain them to the alter?"

"Please don't put ideas into her head," Jasper pleaded as we came to a stop.

"Alice, just leave it, okay? Let them get used to the idea before you start throwing fabric samples at them. Let them do this their way or they will resent you for it." I tried to reason with her, god help me, I did. She lasted all of about one minute before she attacked Bella. While Alice accosted one very annoyed eighteen year old human, i spent a moment with my brother.

"Alice informs me that congratulations are in order," I said, walking towards him as he exited the garage.

"Figures she would have seen it." Edward mumbled, flashing his crooked grin.

"She said yes, then?"

"Yeah, she did." He lips pulled back into a ridiculously wide smile that transformed his whole face. He was breathtaking.

"Well, congrats," I pulled him in for a quick hug.

"Alice will be torturing her," Edward said. "Bella wants to go to Vegas,"

"Then go! After the battle, just fucking do it! I'll hold onto The Pixie while you guys run!"

"They aren't going!" Alice growled from the garage. I released Edward and doubled over laughing.

"She is going to be monstrous!" I complained, trying not to think about the dressing up I would have to do.

"She will probably tie you down until you submit." Edward reminded me.

"I should give in now. Save me an argument. "

"It might be for the best."

"After the night we've had, it might be a breeze." I noted, shuddering at the thought of our night in Seattle.

"What do you mean? What happened?" He asked, grabbing onto the top of my arm.

Can I just think it?" I sighed. "We don't have time and I really don't want to talk about it."

"Sure," He said, staring into my eyes as I ran over the previous nights events. I shuddered and grimaced when I got to the screaming humans. I always would if I ever had to relive those memories. The feeding frenzy, the sinking boat and my mini-mental breakdown. "Kali, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I shrugged, pulling away from his grip.

"Doesn't look like you were fine,"

"No, I wasn't okay. But I am now." I stated. "Oh, by the way, Emmett helped me."

"Really?" His tone dropped as his skepticism rose.

"He talked about feelings and shit,"

_**"I DID NOT!"**_ Emmett bellowed from the house.

"You did so! You made me feel better," I pointed out. "Ya big woman!" Edward's laugh mixed with Emmett's growl.

"What set you off?"

"I had a shit night and sat in a room full of mated couples. Ya know?" If anyone would understand that, he would. He spent fifty years doing this shit.

"Ah," He nodded.

"Exactly,"

"Edward! Get in here. I know you are listening!" Bella yelled. I walked with him towards the garage as she stormed out, Alice bringing up the rear and dancing like her life depended on it.

"Alice, calm the fuck down!" I growled.

"Not likely," She smirked. Fucking pixie.

"Tell ya what," I said, turning back towards Bella and Edward. "When you guys wanna go to Vegas, just let me know. I'll fucking drive you," Alice snarled, causing Bella and Edward to chuckled heartily. "I'm gonna get ready for tonight and tomorrow. You guys finish up here."

I walked away, heading towards the house- the sounds of an argument about wedding locations following me. rolled my eyes, wishing the Pixie would just back down and leave them alone. Not likely, but a vampire girl could dream, right?

"You promise me that you will look after yourselves," Esme demanded, fussing with Edward's collar on his jacket... again.

"For the seventh time, Mom, we promise." Edward rolled his eyes at her. Bella and Edward were packed and getting ready to meet Jacob. The plan was to lay a fake trail, heading into the clearing for the newborns. Once she was there, Jacob would take her to the campsite where Edward would keep her safe until after the battle. Myself and Jasper spent hours poring over alternative but Jacob was the only one who could mask Bella's scent. Everything was set, and they were leaving in two minutes. I was a little anxious to say the least.

"Don't be, Kali," Edward said.

"Keep out of my head, will ya?" I giggled, shoving him gently. "You got everything?"

"Yes, everything is packed. We are going to the clearing first and then I will set up camp."

"Take a phone," I said, throwing his mobile at his head. "I charged it for you... just in case."

"Thanks," Me mumbled as he shoved his phone into his pocket with more force than was strictly necessary.

"There was no need for that, you arsehole. I'm only trying to help!"

"I know, sorry. Just tense."

"That's alright. Now, here. One more thing..." I put my hand into my back pocket, retrieving my silver butane lighter. "Take this, just in case."

"We won't need that..."

"Humor me, jackass. Just take the damn lighter or I will bounce it off your head,"

"You're getting to be worse than Alice..." he complained, taking the lighter from my hand.

"Yeah, and I'm bigger than her and I won't hesitate to hurt you. do what your sister tells you for once." I curled his fingers around the lighter before pushing his fist against his chest firmly. "That's my favourite, so watch it. I want it back."

"Yes, Ma'am," He said, pocketing the little silver rectangle and saluting. That one earned him a smack on the back of the head. "What was that for?"

"I told you I would hurt you," I shrugged. "You got a second before you go?" I glanced at the back door, indicating where we should be heading. He nodded and followed me out, ignoring the family as they stared at us. "We aren't going to have sex out there so stop fucking staring. I need to go over something with him before he goes. Is everyone alright with that?"

"We'll hear what you are talking about anyway," Emmett smirked, grinning at his apparently unassailable deduction.

I rolled my eyes as I passed him, tapping the side of my head. "Actually, Emmett, you won't." We walked out the back door, sitting on the swing-seat on the back porch.

_"Hold on a second until I focus properly." _I thought, looking into his eyes. I pulled his gift forward easily but maintaining it without focus was difficult. I kept it at the front of my mind, trying to burn it into the tissues.

_"What are you doing?"_ He asked, sitting next to me, the words never escaping from his lips.

_"Trying to focus on you enough so that I can use this later without too much trouble. "_

"_You could hurt yourself,"_

_"So?"_ Like that had stopped me when this family needed me...

"You are absurd," He thought shaking his head.

_"I'm trying to give _**OUR**_ family every possible advantage that I can,"_ I growled mentally._ "If a bit of a headache is the price to pay, then so fucking be it. I'd happily pay it. I AM happily paying it."_

_"I know you would, Kali. Trust me, I know what you think of every member of the family and your bonds with them,"_ Edward thought, touching my shoulder. _"I know what you have seen and and felt in the past two months and I know what you are willing to do and sacrifice for us. But we are not willing to lose you because you over-exerted yourself. So if you can't keep up the telepathy, you drop it."_

_"If I can't keep it up, it drops all by itself,"_

_"You know what i mean..."_

_"I know. "_

"_Good."_ We stood up in silence, just listening to the house. I couldn't help but smile at their thoughts. They were just itching to know what was going on out here. Their thoughts and concerns reminded me of my own.

_"Edward, something big is going to happen tomorrow; I can feel it." _I thought, shuffling my feet.

_"You are taking on an army of newborns. I think that qualifies." _He smirked_._

_"You know that's not what I mean, Edward. Something feels weird... like... I dunno."_

_"Whatever it is, we will all get through it and deal with it together," _He gave me a quick hug. I squeezed him around the middle, reveling in the support he was trying to provide.

_"By the way, if you or Bella get hurt tomorrow, I will fucking kill you," I threatened, letting him go. He flashed a grin, giving me another quick squeeze around the shoulders._

"Keep safe, Kali." He whispered, kissing my forehead before heading back inside.

"I called Jacob," Bella said when we walked through the back door. "He's ready when we are." This was it then. The start of the battle.

"You guys ready?" I asked as Edward bent to pick up their bags.

"As I'll ever be," Bella grumbled. I knew she wasn't happy about sitting out. It made her feel helpless. Unfortunately... She and Edward were fucking idiots who wouldn't listen to anyone but themselves... so he was sitting out.

"Take care of yourselves," Esme whispered, giving them both a fierce hug. Carlisle followed her lead and soon, everyone was getting hugs again. Rosalie stepped back, bidding them both good luck. To an outsider, it was a cold goodbye. However, this was about as warm as Rose was going to get today. It was her way of expressing concern. When the third round of hugs was finished, they left, setting out on foot to lay the trail to the clearing. When they had disappeared from sight, my heart clenched for them. I shoved those feelings away, focusing slightly.

_"They will be okay,"_

_"I'm killing me some newborns in the morning,"_

_"I think denim will be battle-friendly,"_

_"I need to get out of here, the worry is too much,"_ Jasper's thought registered last and I focused more, trying to grab hold of his gift. It was tough. The gifts were just slightly too far apart in my head and I was really reaching to grasp the second. I had twenty-four hours before Battle time and about twelve before we met with the wolves so I needed to do this. I pushed my focus to the limit, straining to reach that which was just out of my grasp.

"Kali, what the hell?" Jasper demanded, feeling my building tension.

"Gimme your hand, quickly!" I demanded, slamming my eyes shut and holding my own hand out. When I felt the familiar fingers wrap around mine, I had a rush of emotion coursing through my body. I felt everything around me and heard the minds of everyone at the same time. "Holy shit!" I gasped, opening my eyes and training my sight on Carlisle who was suddenly in front of me.

_"What the hell is she doing?" _Jasper thought, clearly feeling what I was feeling. As soon as his other hand touched my shoulder, the whole room exploded.

"Whoa!" I bellowed as every thought and emotion in the room ran through my brain. I could hear their curiosity and feel their surprise at my outburst.

"Holy... Jesus Christ," Jasper breathed. He started to tremble with the level of empathic stimuli swimming around him. I felt him redoubling his focus, trying to level out the emotional climate as I continued to float on it. "How the hell are you doing that?" He growled when a particularly strong swell of confusion hit us.

"With fucking difficulty," I snarled. It was slipping now. I was losing both the gifts right now but I forced myself to focus and keep them going as long as I could.

_"I swear, I am going to was her mouth out,"_ Esme thought, offended by my more than colorful language. Her thoughts were ever-motherly as I considered cursing my way through the alphabet if it helped me focus.

"Sorry, Esme," I grunted. "But the soap won't be necessary."

"I didn't say anything,"

"You thought it," I explained, The gifts slipped again, I was barely hanging on now.

"Aren't you channeling Jasper right now?" Carlisle asked, taking a step forward and placing his hand on my other shoulder. An influx of strong emotion coming from his hand to my bare shoulder caused me to yelp. It was a little too much. It exhausted me as Jasper kindly told his father to remove his hand before I lost the connection.

"Kali, you got another fourteen seconds before it gives out," Alice said. Thank fuck I didn't get _THAT_ vision. I couldn't have coped with that. Not today. Jasper helped me level out my emotions as I tried to control the rooms. I was ecstatic that I could do this, even for short periods of time. This was important. Jasper chuckled at my new found confidence and that was it. His distraction caused the final slip and the gifts were gone.

"How long have you been able to do that?" Alice asked, standing up from her seat on the floor.

"About two minutes?" I offered, sitting on a nearby chair and cradling my head in my hands.

"How?" Carlisle asked, crouching in front of me. I knew he was doing his whole 'I AM DOCTOR' routine and checking me over, but I couldn't bring myself to be annoyed by it.

"I can do Edward's gift without a lot of focus. I wanted to try two at once..."

"Wow..."

"Yeah, I know." I agreed, shaking my head in an attempt to clear it.

"Don't try that on the field tomorrow," Jasper ordered. "It takes too much focus, I can't stand beside you the whole time and we need you mobile and focused on fighting."

"I know that. It's handy to know that I can though."

"Oh shite,!" I complained as the wolves drew closer. The wind caught them from behind and I now had the stench of wet roadkill beating my senses. It fucking sucked!

"Kali, enough," Carlisle warned, his own nose wrinkled slightly at the smell as a particularly strong gust of wind blew towards us. Myself, Jasper, Carlisle and Emmett formed a loose line as we waited on the wolves making their appearance.

"I know. I know." I focused on their minds, pulling their thoughts into my own. My limit without Edward present was about a mile so it wasn't ideal, but it was enough to get the job done.

_"Nearly there, guys. Just calm down," _Sam thought.

_"I just want tomorrow to come so we can shred some vamps."_

_"Yeah, as long as we get the right ones,"_

_"Like it matters,"_

_"Treaty stands. It matters,"_

"They're close," I said to my family. "About half a mile out."

"_How the fuck can that tick know where we are?_" One wolf mind spoke out. It sounded almost female...

_"It's the other mind reader."_

_"Fuck!"_

_"Exactly..."_

_"I'm going to phase to talk to them," _Sam thought. I was mesmerised as I followed his thoughts through the transformation. The difference between the pack mind and the individual was stunning and complex and if it wasn't for my nearly- irrational hatred of the shape-shifters, I would have liked to study the difference more. The air shimmered around him as he shifted down to human and pulled on a pair of cut-off sweats. He stepped into the clearing thirty seconds later with five huge wolves behind him.

"Hi, Sam," I said cordially. If we were working together, the least we could do it civility. I held my hand out in welcome, hoping that he wouldn't snap at it or something. After half a second, the gripped my hand and released it just as quickly. Better than nothing...

"Kali," He recognised me, nodding as he dropped my hand.

"Thank you for coming tonight," Carlisle offered. "We have a couple of things to hammer out before tomorrow so it's great that you could come."

"How are things shaping up on your end?" Sam asked. I liked that, if nothing else. He was all business.

"As well as can be expected," Carlisle began. " He have all hunted, and are at our strongest. Our original plan of having Bella's scent masked seems to have worked well and we have all trained again today. We are ready."

"Jacob is staying with Bella tonight, just to be safe," Sam said flatly.

"I didn't hear his mind when I was listening for you," I noted.

"He must have phased," Sam shrugged. I was instantly nervous. Edward and the mutt around each other while both in bi-ped form... not good.

"The scent trail is laid, so we have to stay clear of it, now," Jasper said, feeling my rising trepidation. "they will be coming from the east at around eleven AM. We will be here around nine AM to scout some more and to try and get the home advantage. Is this acceptable for you?"

The resulting snickers and barks indicated that the wolves thought we were underestimating them and it got my back up immediately. We were giving them all the information they could possibly need and they were pissed because me were giving them too much? Fuck that.

"That will be fine," Sam said, throwing a glare over his shoulder and aiming it at his pack. "We should try and split the main group into two. It will make our hunting easier."

"Whatever helps, we will do it." Carlisle said. "It might be easier for all of us to split the group. The lesser numbers will make them easier to pick off."

"Then that is what shall be done," Same declared. "We drive the smaller groups into the clearing to eliminate stragglers."

"That's a sound idea." I agreed. "So, are you keeping Jacob with Edward and Bella tomorrow?"

"No. He is one of our best fighters. We need him here. Seth will be going to the campsite in the morning."

"Seems like the best idea. You keeping anyone on the reservation? Just in case?"

"The two smallest members of the pack are staying to protect Charlie and our people. They will be safe." Sam crossed his arms, clearly proud with his thinking. I was happy with it. As long as everyone was protected, I was all good. The look in Sam's eyes when he mentioned the two youngest pack members made me shiver though. From his reactions, I knew they were just kids. Probably younger than Seth and _HE_ was being kept away from the fight. I hated the idea of children dying and I could tell that Sam did too.

"Is there anything you need from us or want to ask?" Carlisle offered.

"I think that's everything," Sam said, turning back to his pack and jerking his head. They began to fall out, leaving only a small grey wolf and a large grey wolf standing in place. Sam's shoulders rose and fell as he turned to face us again. He took a step forward, lifting his hand and holding it in front of Carlisle. "Until tomorrow?"

Carlisle gripped his hand tightly and shook it twice before releasing it. "Tomorrow," Carlisle nodded, allowing Sam to turn away. I took a couple of steps forward.

"Sam!" I called, waiting for him to face me. His face whipped around quickly, his eyes boring into mines. "Thank you." I said, fervently. He lowered his head into a nod before heading away from us.

"I'm going for a drive," I called, heading for the front door.

"Why?" Esme asked from the seat that she and Carlisle were huddled on.

"Three mated pairs in one house the night before a major battle where lives could be lost?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow at her. "I don't think so. I'm going out."

"Kali, we don't want you to go out,"

"Is what I want important?" I challenged.

"Of course it is."

"Then ask me what I want,"

"Kali, what do you need?" Carlisle interrupted, sensing this wasn't going in a good direction.

"I need to get out of here for a couple of hours. I need to think and plan and I can't do that if I am in a house with three happy couples that make me feel like my heart is being ripped out. I need to drive and clear my head and I need to not resent my family for being able to comfort each other the way that they do. _I. Need. To. Go. Out._"

"But it doesn't have to be like that, Kali," Esme whispered, stunned by my outburst. I was having a lot of those recently. I should probably talk to someone about them... maybe not.

"Tell me something, did Edward hang out here every night before he met Bella?" I asked, knowing fine well what the answer was.

"No, he went out a lot," Esme conceded. She furrowed her brow for a second until realisation hit her and her eyes widened. "Oh. That's why you go out so much at night..."

"Yah," I scoffed, lifting the keys to the Zonda. "I'll be back before sunrise."

"Very well," Carlisle said. "Let me walk you out."

"Sure," I shrugged, grabbing my leather jacket off of the hook next to the door. He slung an arm over my shoulder as he walked me to my car. I popped the locks on the car before turning to him. "I'll be back before dawn."

"Keep safe," He said, squeezing me around the shoulders before letting me go.

"I'm immortal, Carlisle. I'll be fine."

"Just humour an old man, huh?"

"I'm older than you are," I laughed. "I have two centuries on you!"

"You'd think you would act like it sometimes," He teased, opening my door for me.

"Watch it, kid." I winked, tossing my jacket into the passenger seat. I walked around the door, aiming to get into the seat and drive away before I could embarrass myself or Carlisle.

"Kali, Can I ask you something?" He asked as I finally got situated into the car.

"Shoot,"

"Are you lonely?"

Well, if there wasn't a hundred different ways I could answer that one. I had always been lonely . The only time I wasn't completely alone was when Euan was around, but even then, I knew that what I thought we were wasn't close to what it should have been. I had a new family and I loved them dearly, but the sight of so many happy couple made my chest hurt more than I cared to admit. It was difficult for me because it was the one thing I knew I was missing and it was something that you couldn't buy or find easily.

"Kali?" Carlisle asked, placing a hand on my shoulder

"Can I answer that when I get back? I don't think we have the time right now." I said, really needed to get of here.

"Okay, go." He said, closing the door and stepping back. I nodded once and gunned it down the driveway. I REALLY needed some space.

I ended up on the edges of the Tacoma Narrows Strait again. I almost abandoned the Zonda in my efforts to get to the water's edge. I sat in the same place as before, allowing the water to lap against my legs. The rhythmic motion of the water beating against me allowed me to reflect and focus. I sat on the banks for a couple of hours when I rose from the ground slowly. I was ready. I had grieved for what I had to do. I had mourned the loss our kind would suffer. I had accepted the depths to which I had to go to in order to protect what I loved. I had prepared to leave what ever I could to those I cared for should anything happen to me. I walked by to my car and headed for home.

I was ready**.**

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_**Author Note- Thanks for reading this. It's been a rough chapter with lots of different things all weaving in and out and its the last one before the fight, so its been difficult. Please let me know what you think. I'm still open to ideas and theories, so feel free to throw them my way. **_

_**Links for Kali's cars are in my profile. **_

_**Thanks again to Content1 for all her help. You are just awesome. [/discussion]**_

_**Next chapter, the battle begins. Stick around. **_

**_Kalika87 (Amanda)_  
**


	27. The Killing Fields

_**Author note - Thanks for all the reads and reviews, I am just blown the hell away by everyone's support and kind words. **_

_**Thanks to Content1 for her continued help and support. Ma'am, I love ya, but get yer arse working on FMR please. I NEED IT! =P**_

_**Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I own a packet of Marlboro Menthol, a lighter and Lemons with Jasper in them... FUCK YES!**_

_**Ok, here we go, the battle and a little bit of the fall out.**_

_**

* * *

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_In the far away fires _  
_ Where the hills forever burn _  
_ At the feet of our heroes _  
_ We try hard to learn _  
_ But the lesson is lost there _  
_ In the smoke and the mud _  
_ That we are one flesh, one breath, one life, one blood _

_ I stood by the river _  
_ That ran red with shame _  
_ I stood in the killing fields _  
_ Where death had no name _  
_ I stood with my brothers _  
_ And away it flood _  
_ And we were one flesh, one breath, one life, one blood _

_ Then I felt to the ground _  
_ Tasted ashes on my tongue _  
_ Thinking that only the dead _  
_ Are forever young_

_ There was peace in the twilight _  
_ And for a moment among _  
_ It was a world without danger _  
_ A world without war _  
_ And I will take all your suffering _  
_ It will do any good _  
_ Cause we are one flesh, one breath, one life, one blood_

_~Terence Jay - One Blood_

_**Chapter 27.**_

_**The Killing Fields.**_

The morning of the battled came in a blaze of brilliant sunshine. The light shattered on contact with vampire skin, sending colour prisms dancing around the clearing. It was just before noon and my family, minus Edward and Bella, were gathered with the wolves, making final preparations for what was coming.

"Sam, are you guys ready?" I made a point of including the pack as much as possible. I wouldn't have called it a friendly relationship, but there was a tense civility that made the whole damn thing bearable. There was that and the fact that the pack was in wolf form and I was the only one present who could speak for them. Thankfully, with a lot of practice, I could use Edward's ability with little effort. Honestly, it took more focus to shove it away that it did to maintain it.

_"We are ready. Jacob will be here soon,"_ Sam thought, his voice ringing out over the babble that was the combined wolf-mind. Images of Jacob rolled through Sam's mind, echoing around the minds of the other pack members.

_"Will you kiss me Jacob?" Bella asked, terror etched on her face as Jacob walked away from her. The mutt's heart stopped at her request. He turned on the spot, his eyes blazing._

_"You're bluffing,"_

_"Kiss me, Jacob. Kiss me and them come back,"_

My growl erupted from my chest and rang through the clearing, bouncing off of the trees that surrounded us and amplifying the sound ten-fold.

"I'm going to fucking _KILL HER!_" I snarled, bolting to the nearest thing that couldn't speak and throwing my fist into it with as much force as I could muster. My victim doubled over, cracks and creaks crackled in the air as the massive tree that I had assaulted fell rather theatrically with a crash and a poof of dirt. It wasn't enough; not even close. I needed to punch and break more things.

"Kali, stop," Alice pleaded. "They're coming!" Alice had her foggy and distant eyes trained on the far side of the clearing. My skin started to tingle and the hairs on the back of my neck rose. I couldn't see them, of smell them yet, but my whole body was screaming at me that they were coming.

"How long?" I growled, stepping into position beside Jasper, my hand curled into a fist as I fought every single animal instinct I had. It wasn't time. They weren't here yet.

"Less than a minute. Please calm down," Alice pleaded as she stroked my arm, trying to soothe me. it was _NOT_ helping. I needed more... instant... assistance.

"Jazz, help me out here, will ya?" I spat through gritted teeth. My whole body started to tremble with the effort it was taking to lock everything in place and to prevent a really embarrassing lash out. The quivering stopped as a fierce swell of peace, focus ad calm hit me like a speeding truck. "Thanks, man."

"What happened?" Carlisle asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Later," I demanded, training my gaze onto the far side of the clearing. "They are coming. I can hear them." I could too. They were less than four miles away and they were frantic. The scent trail that Bella had laid the previous day was driving them insane and their only goal was to get to her. When they were about a mile and a half out, they split, just as Alice had suggested they might. One group kept running for us while the other cut back a little and circled around to where they should have come behind us.

Jacob broke the tree line in that second and I had to fight every single urge I had not to ram my fist down his throat and turn him inside out. His mind was a fucking swamp of thoughts and emotions. He fantasized about Bella's lips and body pressed against him and I growled. Loudly.

"Sam, get him the fuck under control or _I will_!" I snarled, still scanning the tree-line. They were two miles out now and we got into position. The wolves had their back to us and us to them. Jasper placed a tense hand in mines. "Jazz, I need you to help me focus. There are too many voices and I can't-"

"Breathe, Darlin'. I got you covered. Just focus," He murmured, filtering as much of his focus as he could. The skin to skin contact increased the effect and my mind sharpened. A snarl built in the back of my throat. A mile and a half out. The newborns were moving at a terrifying velocity now and closing faster than was comfortable. I heard Sam mentally reprimand Jacob and forcing him to get his head in the game. Jacob huffed once in indignation but one short, sharp bark from Sam silenced the pack completely. They were just under a mile out now and I could smell them.

Every single cell in my body, everything that made me who I was was screaming at me in protest as I ignored the urge to run like hell and fucking hide. No. Not today. No more fucking hiding. A low grumbled vibrated in my chest as a feral snarl ripped through me, forcing my head back. The sound was echoed among the other vampires and wolves around me.

"Sam, go west now!" I yelled, slipping down into a crouch, bunching my calf and thigh muscles, feeling them coil as I prepared to spring. "Five seconds."

"*-***-*"

Five, Jasper crouched beside me, positioning himself in front of Alice. Both offensive and defensive.

Four, Carlisle, Rosalie and Esme snarled and crouched beside us.

Three. Emmett pounded his fist into his hand, laughing maniacally.

Two. The werewolves launch themselves into the trees to take out the smaller of the two groups of newborns.

One. we could hear their snarls and growls. Their minds a blitz of bloodlust and murder.

Zero. They broke into the clearing, running at full tilt towards us and we pounced.

"*-***-*"

Myself and Jasper took the lead, running almost in tandem, taking out the two front runners. I must have repressed memories of fighting newborns in my past, because I seemed to have forgotten how easy it was to shove my fist right through their heads. As my hand connected with the male newborn's head, I felt my hand crack in the most deliciously painful way. The stone skin cracked and split over my knuckles, venom leaked out of the cuts, sealing them instantly. I relished the burn. It fueled the monster who i had let loose and would have serious trouble putting the fucker back into his cage. I balled my fist again, yanking my arm upwards with one rapid jerk and the newborns head split in to, coming off of it's body. Nice. The high-pitched scream that issued from it's mouth before I took it's head off of it's body was enough to distract two newborns who were to my right, allowing Alice and Emmett to dispose of them.

"Jazz," I screeched, "With me!" I bolted into the center of the newborn huddle with Jasper, Carlisle and Rosalie. The first newborn was pulled apart like it was on a factory assembly line. Jasper got to her first, ripping an arm off her before pitching it half way across the field. Carlisle was next, removing the other arm with the precision of a highly skilled surgeon..._ well... _I threw myself at the armless girl, spearing her into the ground violently, her ribs cracking under the force. Rosalie literally somersaulted over me, wrapping her hands in the newborns hair before wrenching it's head clean of it's body. She stood up and with the aim of professional football player, threw the decapitated head at a newborn who was heading for Esme, knocking it into a tree. I was impressed.

The wolves re-entered the clearing, driving another six newborns into the open space between us and them. Easy pickings, jigsaw and fucking joke were just a couple of the choice phrases rattling around their heads. Some of them actually relishing the way that vampire flesh felt between their teeth and under their claws. I was glad that they were actually enjoying this for some reason. their minds buzzed with excitement and pride.

_"She followed me here. Seth, **GO!**" _Edward's voice rang through the thoughts of the wolves minds.

"FUCK!" I screeched, punching the head off another newborn,. "Victoria is heading for the campsite!"

"Seth will help him," Sam thought as he careered towards another newborn. "He is young, but he knows what to do. He will be-" His thought was cut short as he engaged a newborn with the wolf called Paul. They made quick work of it and moved on. I charged at full speed towards a newborn in the middle of the clearing until the most God-awful snarl of agony altered my direction. I spun on the spot to see a female newborn clamp her teeth into Jasper's arm. I switched directions and battled my way to him. Just before I got to him, Alice had jumped onto the newborn's back, pulling both of it's arms back and ripping them off before tossing them behind her.

"Jazz! You alright?" I yelled as I grabbed his arm, yanking back the sleeve. The teethmarks were pretty deep. His body battled with the alien venom, heating the temperature of the surrounding skin considerably.

"Jesus, that fucking stings," he snarled, rubbing the damaged skin on his forearm.

"Add it to the collection, Major," I teased, "Now fucking move it!" I scanned the clearing quickly, the newborns were falling fast, maybe seven left in total, three of which were dancing around Emmett, just out of his reach. I was by his side in a second, grabbing one of the newborns around the wrist, pulling him towards me and throwing him to the ground with my free arm as it hit him across the neck. I reached for the next newborn when something went wrong.

Time slowed down to an almost comical level. My hand was clenched into a fist and heading for one of the newborns heads when it stopped travelling forward. An iron grip caught me wrist, pulling it back. Too far back. I turned my head in time to see my right arm over-extending behind me. I felt the first crack and it was like someone had poured molten iron into the joint at my shoulder. I barely had time to growl and screech in pain before their was a loud pop and the whole right hand side of my body was on fire. Venom trickled down the inside of my shirt and onto the waist band of my jeans. There was the most sickening, bone-chilling cry of pain around me. It took me a moment to realise that my mouth was open and my chest rumbled violently. My lungs ached and my breath was gone. When I inhaled, the screaming stopped. Oh, the screaming was me... Venom scorched the fabric of my shirt, disintegrating the material against my skin. My shoulder was on fire and I fell forward. Half a second later, the newborn who was pulling at my arm was gone and I was being picked up off of the ground.

"Kali?" Rose cried, helping me to sit up.

"Is Emmett alright?" I asked. The last, pain-free memory I had was of Emmett being surrounded.

"I'm fine, you fucking idiot!" Emmett bellowed. I looked up and saw him holding an arm. What the fuck? I looked at the arm again... It looked like it was covered in the same material that my shirt was made out of... I felt sick. That was my arm... "What the fuck were you trying to do?"

_'Oh right, Emmett is yelling at you, Kali, and you need to focus'_ I scolded myself. "I was saving you?" I was confused as all fucking hell, I was in ridiculous pain and and it was too quiet around here. "Did we win? Is everyone alright?"

"I'm holding your arm in my hand and you want to know if everyone is alright?" Emmett scoffed. "Did you lose your damn mind as well as this?" He started waving my arm at me in a morbidly amusing manner. Carlisle appeared out of nowhere and scowled at him like Emmett had ripped my arm off himself.

"Fuck off and give me my arm, Emmett. I need to try and reattach it before this heals over." I tried to growl at him, I really did but it just came out as a sort of whimper.

"Emmett, go and find Kali something to feed from," Carlisle instructed as he inspected the ragged, seeping hole where my arm used to live. I growled viciously as his finger traced the edge of the wound. "She will need the blood to heal faster."

"What should I get her?" He asked.

"Anything with a heartbeat that isn't human or werewolf," I sneered and watched as he loped off into the trees with Rosalie behind him. **_"FUUUUCK!_**" I bellowed, my eyes rolled into the back of my head as a new wave of agony ripped its way through my shoulder, shooting right down my body as Carlisle shoved my arm back into place and pressed down onto it with considerable force.

"Kali," Esme began in an all-too-familiar and oh-so-unnecessary tone of voice.

"Esme, I love you, I really do. But if you scold me for swearing right now, I _will_ throw something at you." My teeth ground together in an attempt to stifle the agony I was feeling. he venom from my body was already working it's arse off. Lots of tiny little connections had already started knitting together in what I could only describe as the second worse pain I had ever been in.

"Here, will this do?" Emmett asked, walking back to us with one small deer and a rabbit.

"A rabbit? Really?" Rosalie sneered at the struggling animal in Emmett's grasp. "They taste disgusting."

Emmett pouted dramatically. "She said anything..."

"It's fine, Emmett, thanks." He lay the deer on the ground and handed me the little brown rabbit which I promptly put on the ground and watched at it hopped away as fast as it could.

Emmett began to protest in earnest. "Kali, what th-" I raised a hand to silence him.

"I'm not eating Bugs Bunny." Carlisle and Rosalie giggled tightly as the rabbit disappeared. I got distracted by the fact that the obviously limp deer on the ground still had a heartbeat. "Em, did you break it's neck already?"

"Nah, I just knocked it out so I could chase the rabbit," He shrugged. I laughed and instantly wished I hadn't. White hot bursts of pain shot through my re-connecting arm and up my shoulder. I hissed loudly, wincing like someone poked me in the eyes.

"Kali, you need to feed. This will take a lot longer if you don't," Carlisle informed me, pressing my arm further into the socket while massaging the join between the two body parts. I nodded, internally grumbling at his _'I'm a Doctor. Do as you are told' tone'_.

"Could someone pass that to me?" I said weakly, keeping my eyes turned down. I didn't even see who passed me the damn animal and I honestly didn't care. I mumbled my thanks before bringing the animal's neck to my mouth. The blood bathed my tongue and flooded my body. It ran through my dead veins and hit my shoulder. _"FUCKING HELL!_" I growled with my teeth still buried into the deer's neck. My shoulder burned ferociously at the blood hit the venom that was healing my shoulder. I could feel the reaction, the fibers regenerating and _it fucking sucked_! The pain was bewildering.

"Is it healing?" Rosalie asked, kneeling by my side. I pulled my teeth away from the drained carcass on my lap and shoved it away with my good ark. I shrugged my shoulders experimentally. I winced again, but not quite as hard as before. It was a little better, but it still ached like a bastard. Great, another scar... Just what I needed. I shook my head and made to get up off the ground. With a little assistance from Emmett, I was back on my feet and able to have a look around the clearing for the first time since the chaos abated.

The rest of the family was gathered next to a massive fire in the center of the clearing. The pillar of purple-black smoke that rose up from the vampire-fueled furnace choked the air. I zeroed my gaze onto a small bundle on the floor directly in front of the fire. There was a newborn curled up on the ground with it's eyes slammed shut and Jasper standing over it like it was radioactive. Alice was stood next to Esme- both of them torn as to where they should be standing. Alice kept throwing glances between Jasper and myself while Esme was watching the newborn, Jasper and Carlisle. It was the newborn itself was what attracted my attention. She was young- sixteen, if she was lucky- Much too young for this life. Her long wavy brown hair was covered in dust and dirt and hung loosely down her back. She rivaled Alice with her diminutive size and looked completely and utterly defenseless. I averted my blatant stare when the wolves howled. They were circling their own bonfire, barking and huffing intermittently. It sounded like a chant but my head was fucking frazzled and I couldn't deal with listening to their head. Shit. Wolves... Seth... Edward and Bella!

"Sam!" I yelled "Is Seth, Edward and Bella alright?" The wolf just nodded for me and continued to chant as I felt myself grow weak with relief. If anything would have happened to them , I would have fucking killed them. "Thank you, Sam."

We made it. Minus my arm and Jasper's new teethmarks, we got through everything unscathed. The wolves had played a substantial part in our survival and as much as I would love to continue despising them, I think a healthy level of respect was in order. I moved further away from them, trying to keep distance because the smell was really getting to me, when a familiar pounding in the back of my head stopped me in my tracks.

"Jesus Christ! Not now... _Carlisle, Jasper!_" I screeched, hitting the ground shuddering in pain. Four black cloaks swept across the ground before my eyes as my head exploded in pain. I tried to focus, I swear to God, I did, but I couldn't. My brain just submitted to the pain, allowing it to sweep through my entire mind. The Volturi were coming. We were in trouble and a lot of it. The strongest blast of 'painkiller' hit me, knocking me breathless before I could cry out again and then, the pain was gone completely. What they fuck? I pried my eyes open slowly and wanted the world to swallow me up. I had Carlisle, Esme, Emmett and Sam standing over me like I was some kind of experiment. Emmett extended a hand, helping me onto my feet. "Thanks Jazz, Sam, Em," I mumbled, trying to brush the the dirt off of the back of my clothes- A completely pointless act considering that the venom from my arm had pretty much wrecked them. "Alice, when are they coming?"

"Seventeen minutes," She said, looking at me almost apologetically.

"Its alright, sis. If I could get a filter fitted, that would be great," I joked. It wasn't her fault that I couldn't stop it- none of us could. Carlisle started checking my arm again. Apparently, I had fallen onto it when my latest brain burning problem occurred.

"Sam, the leaders of our world are coming here," Carlisle explained with a final prod at my arm. "It won't be safe for your pack here." The snickered from the wolf pack indicated that they didn't trust our assessment of the situation. Sam, however, looked stern. His shoulders tightened at the thought of more vampires on the area but he really couldn't be here.

"Seriously, they don't honour treaties with wolves. You guys need to get out of here, Sam," I said, reaching out a hand slowly to touch his shoulder. I wasn't sure what was more surprising- the fact that he didn't move away or the fact that I had reached out in the first place. As my hand made contact with the bare skin on his shoulder, I shuddered violently. It was hot, too hot and uncomfortable and my whole body was screaming at me that I was an idiot for getting this close. I managed to contain the reaction for the most part as his hand touched my shoulder. **_Too fucking hot_**! We dropped our hands quickly though. The contact was seriously creeping me out. Sam nodded, leaving first and indicated to the other wolves that it was time to go. They all filed out slowly, leaving only the small grey wolf, Leah, and Jacob. I Nodded a head to them both and turned back to my family. I swear someone was messing with the laws of nature because everything slowed down again. Time just kind of stopped.

I was taking the first step towards my family when a vicious snarl cracked the eerily silent air. By the time I had turned around, Leah had discovered a straggling newborn and had engaged him in a fight on her own. I started to move forward with every intention of helping Leah but Jacob got there first, knocking the newborn clean out of Leah's way and began to take on the newborn himself. As Jacob lunged for the young one's arm, the newborn sidestepped him and managed to get his arms around Jacob's chest. We all heard the bones crack and break. It was one of the most disgusting sounds I had ever heard. I winced as I swung my arms to propel myself forward faster, ignoring the pulling pain in my shoulder, as I ran to help him. I reached his side at the same time as Sam and Paul. I wrapped my good arm around the young one's neck, dragging him away from the shuddering mass of russet fur on the ground. I slid my fingers into the newborns hair and twisted it's head to the side to give me access to it's neck. I bared my teeth and sank them into it's neck. Let me tell you, there is nothing more animalistic for our kind than to taste the flesh of a vampire. The feel, the taste and the smell drove the animal inside me completely ballistic. It not only broke back out of it's cage, but the son of a bitch wrecked the damn thing on the way out. I ripped it's throat out, pulling and twisting it's head until it popped.

I dropped both the head and the newborn and left it for the wolves to take care of. "Carlisle!" I screamed, bolting back to where Jacob lay in a massive mound of fur on the ground. The Quileute boys and girl were surrounding him, shielding him from view. Carlisle was by my side in an instant, trying to get to Jacob who was howling in agony.

"Let me through," He pleaded. "I can help him."

"Look, his bones are crushed. He can't heal this on his own," I said, trying to get it through to one of them. "Sam, please, let him help!" The men turned to Sam, looking for some kind of answer. Whatever they found there worked for us, because they let us through.

"Thank you," Carlisle breathed reverently.

"Jasper, cover her ears," I said, kneeling beside Carlisle next to Jacob. I ran one hand up the length of Jacob's front paws, feeling the shattered bones under my hands and wincing at the pain I knew he would be in. "Carlisle, I got broken bones in both his arms," I said, running my hands over Jacob's shoulder and down onto his ribcage. "Broken shoulder, clavicle and five ribs." As I skimmed the right side of his ribcage, an ear-splitting howl shattered the air around us.

"Four broken ribs on the left side, broken right femur, shattered pelvis," Carlisle was in _'Def-Con one'_ on the 'Doctor Vampire' scale. His whole concentration was on the broken man-wolf on the ground. I felt sick at the thought of the amount of pain Jacob would be in- it would be monumental and we couldn't do anything for him like this. "We need him to phase, Sam." Carlisle muttered as he continued to feel out fractures along Jacob's limbs. Carlisle stood to talk to Sam as I bowed over next to Jacob's head. I bent lower, closer to his head.

"Jacob, you are pretty banged up," I whispered, getting closer to the mutt than I ever wanted to. "The bones on the right side of your body are crushed. The pain is going to be terrible but we need you to phase so Carlisle can help you." The answering howl I got made me think that he had attempted to shift. His whole body shook with the effort before he fell still and silent. As much as I couldn't stand the fucker, the pain he was in made it hard to remember that fact. No matter how I felt about Jacob, I hated to see another creature in this much pain. The howling trailed off suddenly and I breathed a sigh of relief. "He passed out, Carlisle. Might be best to move him now." I placed a hand onto the side of Jacob's neck, forcing myself not to flinch at the temperature. "He need's to get to the reservation."

"We will take him," Sam said, moving forward.

"Try and get him to wake up and phase. I will be able to treat him better then. I will come when I am finished here," Carlisle offered, moving back to allow the Quileutes to move Jacob. They lifted him gently, trying not to jostle him too much as they walked through the tree's. Carlisle offered me his hand, helping me up off of the ground. "Are you alright, Kali? How's your arm?"

"It's alright. Hurts like hell," I said, trying to force a smile and not quite managing it. "Carlisle, why is there a newborn on the ground next to the fire?"

"She surrendered."

"Oh," I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "I want to talk to her."

"Why?"

"She lacks a sire. She needs guidance. We need to know what the hell has been happening. We need to know-" Yeah, he got the point pretty quickly. He grabbed my good shoulder and pulled me towards the family and the newborn. "Just let me talk to her for a cou... **_OH FUCKING HELL!_**"I yelled, rolling my eyes as I saw Edward break the tree-line and approach the family with Bella lying in his arms, unconscious. That did it. I lost it.

"What the fuck happened to her?"

"She passed out," Edward said stiffly, lowering her onto the ground slowly.

"What the hell do you mean that she just passed out? What happened?" I growled as I crouched next to Bella's head, stroking her hair.

"I told her Jacob got injured and she just passed out," Edward explained, not bothering to hide his pain at her reaction to the news.

"Shit," I grumbled. This girl was doing herself no favours. I released her hair and clenched my fist, instantly regretting it. Pain shot right up my arm and across my shoulder. I hissed as fire shot through the joint, burning through the new connections in my arm.

"What happened to you?" Edward asked, staring at my arm. I looked at it quickly. The shiny new scar was flushed pink with the blood from my kill to help with the healing.

"Oh, I got it taken off," I said nonchalantly. I traced the line of my new scar, watching Edward follow my fingers as the rubbed the healing skin. His eyes went wide and his mouth gaped. "What?" I asked, uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

"Are you alright?" He asked as Carlisle gave Bella the once-over.

"I'm fine, it just hurts."

"I'm sorry you got hurt."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," I thought, focusing on him enough that I could hear his mind.

_"I think you were right before," _He thought.

_"About what?"_

_"You and me having a love/hate relationship." _I couldn't help but laugh at him.

_"And what, dear brother, are you feeling now?"_

_"Love. Just a lot of fucking love," _My eyes went wide and I gasped. Never, not once, had I ever heard Edward swear. It was shocking and oddly cool. It suited him. He should do it more. _"I don't think so." _He thought, answering my silent musings_._

_"Then that is shocking language for a gentleman to use in the presence of a lady,"_

_"Even when the lady swears more than anyone else I know?"_

"Even then, brother," I laughed, scanning the clearing. The wolves had gone and we were waiting on the presence of the Volturi to be made known. The thick purple smoke was filtered right through the clearing now and the smell was sticking to the back of my throat. It was nauseating. My gazing only stopped when I saw the newborn curled by the fire. My staring did not go unnoticed.

"Kali, who is the newborn?" Edward asked as he stroked Bella's cheek with the pad of his thumb.

"She surrendered, I think," I shrugged my shoulders and regretted it again. I hissed in discomfort, causing several pairs of eyes to wander in my direction. "I'm fine." I stated, standing up to go to Jasper. He looked up from the young one as I approached and puffed a little cloud of 'painkiller' at me. I winked at him as I clasped a hand to his shoulder. I would have squeezed one of his hands had they not been clamped down on the newborn's ears.

"Your arm alright?" He asked quietly, shifting his eyes from my face to my shoulder and back again. The pink line on my skin was starting to drain in colour, but rise and tighten as a scar. Fuck it.

"I'll be fine, Jazz. Couple of hours until everything is re-connected and a couple of days until it feels right, but I'm okay. This time next week, I will have a shiny new scar," I boasted, waggling my eyebrows at him.

"When you have as many as I do, you can start to worry," He teased.

"Yeah, when we get some down time, we will compare war wounds," I laughed gently, shaking my head. "How is she?" I jerked my chin towards the newborn in his hands. She was so small, it was disconcerting. No-one should be changed that young.

"She's scared, thirsty and oddly relieved," He said, shrugging his own shoulders.

"Let go of her ears. I want to talk to her." Jasper shot me a look that was clearly questioning my sanity. I cocked an eyebrow at him and I have no doubt that he was feeling my growing annoyance. Jasper nodded once and removed his hands slowly from the sides of the young one's head, instructing her to keep her eyes shut. He backed away, allowing me to crouch in front of her. I focused on Edward's gift to help me talk to her. I needed complete control over her but I needed answers as well. I took in a slow breath before I began.

"You will keep your eyes closed or I will remove them from your head. Do you understand me, young one?" I snarled, keeping myself calm but putting enough edge in my voice so that she would know I was _NOT_ fucking around.

_"Of course I understand her! I'm not stupid!"_ She thought as she nodded her response for me. She was sassy... and I kind of liked it. "_She acts like Jasper."_ I smirked a little when I heard her think that. If I could be half of the Cullen that Jasper was, I would be doing well.

"you will not move. You will sit perfectly still unless instructed otherwise and you will not speak unless myself or Jasper addresses you. Do you understand?" She nodded once again. "You are alive right now because you surrendered, yes?" Another nod. "Why did you surrender?"

Her mind raced, spilling secret thoughts into my head. Her abrupt entry into our world and the pain of being in such a hostile environment. How she and another newborn began to talk and be friends. His name was Diego and she was really keen on being his friend. I say friend, but as a vampire who had lived with mated couples for the past two years, friends was the least of their worries. I was shown another male vampire. Older than the young ones but no more than eighteen months old. He was ordering them around and making sure they stayed in line... kind of. I saw Riley ordering them to attack us and hunt for Bella. I saw Riley talk to Bree about her friend Diego; how he was missing and she lost her killer instinct. She thought about how well Carlisle and Esme had treated her and how, in a strange way, they made her feel safe.

"I didn't want to fight anymore," She whispered, fighting to keep her eyes closed like she was instructed. I knew it was uncomfortable for her, but the sensory deprivation would only aid me in getting my answers quicker. "He said he wouldn't hurt me if I stopped fighting." Another flurry of Carlisle whistled through her head as she relived how considerate he had been with her. She thought of my father with affection... albeit warily. She was just a child and guilty of nothing except having a psychotic bitch for a sire. I felt my six centuries dead mothering instinct kick in with a vengeance.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Jasper asked in a tone that suggested that he had assessed my previously questionable sanity and he has decided I was certifiable. I would have had to agree with him. I felt fucking nuts.

"Oh, yeah, like I can help it..." I sneered, focusing my attention on the newborn. I didn't even know her name yet...

"Bella will wake up in thirty seven seconds. I don't doubt that she would be able to hear you right now," Alice announced, finally giving me something else to look at other than the girl on the floor at my feet. Edward, Esme, Carlisle and Alice were attending to Bella, Jasper was by my side and Rosalie stood with Emmett in between the two groups. Those members of my family who were hovering over Bella, trying to rouse her from her unconscious state with words of love and encouragement, all of which she roundly ignored. I was just about to suggest leaving her when Edward leaned forward and whispered words that damn near killed him.

"Bella, love, Jacob Black will be fine," He breathed into her ear. Her eyes fluttered a little and my heart just fucking broke for Edward. Of all the loving comments and supporting whispers that they had given her, those were the words that woke her up. The pain it caused Edward was suffocating. Jasper and I both cringed at the mental and emotional blow that Edward was throwing us. Bella began to talk and ask about Jacob and everyone else and suddenly, it didn't really matter if the newborn saw anything now, we had the Volturi coming anyway. They knew something was going down here and Bella was still human. We had no reason to keep her eyes shut now. Fortunately, Jasper had the same idea as I did and it pleased me again that we were on the same page.

"You had better open your eyes now," Jasper instructed as he watched the newborn for anything that would indicate she was going to lose control. Her eyes snapped open, taking in Jasper's and my own appearance with a quickly critical eye before scanning the whole space. Jasper stood tensed and ready to spring, like a cobra when it prepares to strike if necessary. The newborn looked around her, noting where everyone was on the killing field. She had seen Bella but thankfully the wind was blowing vampire dust into her face so it was polluting the ridiculous scent that Bella was giving off. Then the wind shifted, blowing through Bella's hair and right into the face of the newborn.

**_FUCK MY LIFE!_**

The young one jumped to her feet, propelled by the scent blowing through the clearing. Myself and Jasper both lunged for her, grabbing an arm each and putting her firmly back onto her arse. I winced in pain at the strain on my newly healed arm, but brushed it off when the young one made to stand up again. We yanked her down harder while we both yelled "Stop it!" at the same time. The combined volume of our voices, the complimentary qualities that the edge in our voices had and the physical strength exerted over her, left the young one reeling. She fought against the restraints we were putting her under and was dangerously close to getting herself killed.

"You better sit the fuck down of I will dismantle you," I promised with a hiss. I turned to see Bella snuggled into Edward's side, asking quiet questions that I really could not be fucked with at that moment in time. Another gust of wind shoved more of her delectable scent in our directions, causing the young one to scream in pain. She wrapped her fists into her hair and pulled on it fiercely before shoving her hands into the ruined earth, looking for something to hold onto. I could see from her head that her battle with her thirst was excruciating, even more so for one who hasn't learned how to manage their thirst. She was three months, four if she was luck and her restraint is extraordinary. If Bella's scent, after months of being around her, still inspired me to to vaguely consider harming her just for a second, then that newborn would be in utter agony.

"Focus! It's only blood and it doesn't control you," I said, dropping the edge from my voice, hoping to control and convince her at the same time.

_"How can I?"_ She thought. A whimper caught in the back of her throat and my heart clenched. She was in pain and I was being an arse to her. It was necessary, of course, but it didn't make me feel like any less of a dickhead. Another blustering blow of Bella's scent hit us and it just about sent the newborns over the edge. She screeched and clawed her fingers into the dirt around her. Her feral snarl grated on my ears.

"Have you changed your mind, young one?" Carlisle asked, as he stood in between Jasper and myself. He placed a hand onto Jasper's shoulder and squeezed my hand as he went. "We don't want to destroy you, but we will if you can't control yourself."

"How can you stand it? I WANT HER!" She pleaded as she glared at Bella. Oh yeah, like it was her fault...

"But you must stand it. You must exercise control. It is the only thing that can save you now." The youngster howled again, gripping her hair at the roots before shoving her hands into the dirt again. From her mind, I saw that she was trying. She was using every fiber of her being to control herself and not move.

"Hold your breath, young one," I suggested. "It helps."

"Is Jasper alright?" Bella asked Edward as I finally started paying attention to everyone else present.

"The venom sting," Edward explained. Yeah, didn't I know it... I turned my head to see Jasper rubbing the new scars on his arm. He was at the itchy, burning stage. I could recall at least a hundred times where I had done that myself. To have the venom of another vampire in your system was painful. It burned like hell until your own venom overpowered it. It was something akin to how humans fight off infection. Speaking of burning, the fire in my newly attached arm flared as I hit the home-stretch in the healing process. I followed Jasper's lead, pressing down onto the tender, rock hard flesh and tried to massage the venom that honestly felt like it was bubbling under my skin.

"And Kali? Did she get bitten?" Bella asked. Her concern was genuine and I loved her all over again. I swear she dabbled in black magic or something because people fell in love with her way too fucking easily.

"Not exactly," Edward said, swerving the details. "But she will be alright."

"Oh, _crap_," Alice exclaimed before I could confirm my medical status. "They're coming!" And with that, my medical status was not fucking important anymore. I backed away from the newborn heading towards my family. Jasper muttered a quick warning to the newborn and followed me, helping close the loose circle that we had formed around Bella as we waited for the rulers of our world to make themselves known. I stiffened as the wind finally blew towards us, dragging Bella's scent away from us but carrying four scents that made my venom surge and run cold.

The Volturi were here.

* * *

Author Note- Don't hate me for the cliffie, I promise, we are going off canon for the next chapter and it will effect the rest of the story from here on out.

Thanks again to content1 who helped me get some of the planning done on this. You rock. I got a shot of Jagermeister with your name written all over it.

Next chapter is called Voliterras. The Volturi are here and everything changes for our girl, Kali.

If you have any questions, comments or rants, please let me hear them.

Until next time.

Kalika87 (Amanda)


	28. Voliterras

_**Author Note- Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. Cliffies are a bitch but I think it was necessary. Just think yourself luck I spared you one this time around too... =P**_

_**Thanks to Content1 for her help and advice. I did the shot ma'am. Now, it's your turn.**_

_**Here we go... The Volturi are here...**_

_**Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I own a ridiculous Jackson Rathbone and Robert Pattinson addiction. It's borderline embarrassing. **_

* * *

_All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. _

_~Anatole France_

_We would rather be ruined than changed;_  
_We would rather die in our dread Than climb the cross of the moment And let our illusions die._

_~W.H. Auden_

_**Chapter 28**_

_**Voliterras**_

There scent may have carried on the wind, but seeing the four cloaked figures approach was almost bone-chilling. I could sense three gifts amongst the four. A tracker for sure- I had felt gifts like his before and I could feel the pull that he was using to find us. The second was unnerving. It made me feel sort of numb; like sound, taste, touch, hearing and sight could be erased. It was numbing and I _really_ didn't like it. The last was nothing short of astonishing. I had never experienced anything like it before. It was almost like there was a painless burning inside my head. I could feel the fire but not the agony that was normally associated with it. I wanted to push is away from me but I felt someone squeeze my hand firmly. I looked to Edward, who still had my hand in his, and focused as I watched him shake his head.

_"Kali, do not push that out,"_ He warned me in thought, releasing my hand from his grip. I flinched at the volume of his thoughts.

_"Why?"_ My mind blazed with the painless fire as images of Edward writhing in utter agony on the stone floors of the Throne Room in Volterra streaked through my mind. Every single inch of Edward was burning in my mind and it repulsed me. _"Is that what this feeling does? That's what I am feeling in my head?"_ I asked quietly, hoping to God that I was wrong. I didn't mind being powerful occasionally, but this gift, it was sadistic.

_"Yes. That's Jane's gift. She is...potent,"_

_"Give me a second. I might be able to use this,"_ I thought, trying to focus on the burning without projecting it.

_"Be VERY careful, Kali,"_ Edward warned me before turning his attention on the four figures that glided towards us. The dark grey fabric of their cloaks swirled and danced along the ruined earth. It felt like the temperature of the air dropped by ten points as they became visible through the purple smoke from the pyres. The line-up that approached, under any other circumstances would have been fucking hilarious. It was like something out of 'All Creatures Great and Small'. There was one whose size rivalled Emmett's. He was a total beast! The second was tall and lean, more along the lines of Jasper and Edward's build. The third was around my height and slender, sort of waif-like but definitely male. The last was tiny. I mean, smaller than Alice and she didn't even hit my chin. I shit you not, she was (With exception of the immortal children) the smallest vampire that I had ever seen.

The oddest thing was that this diminutive little vampire seemed to be taking the lead. The others fell in behind her.

"Kali, that's Jane," Edward whispered. "The burning gift you are feeling belongs to her."

"_She_ did that to you?" I growled quietly. I glared at the tiny little vampire, hoping that I could make the little shit spontaneously combust just by looking at her. I started to imagine all the different ways I could rip her apart. I fought to suppress the snarl that was threatening to rock the world around me.

"Hmm," Said a quiet voice. _"They survived,"_ was the thought that followed it. If ever there was a voice to epitomize our kind, that was it. It was cold, detached, hard and unforgiving. It made me shudder when I realised it was the little vampire that spoke. Her voice indicated that she was thirteen or fourteen at the oldest. Far too young to be one of us.

"Hello Jane," Edward said. His voice was distant, unfeeling and honestly, the tone of it scared me more than anything. The lack of emotion was terrifying. I was seriously fighting the growl that was bubbling away in my chest. _"Kali, you are going to crush my hand,"_ He thought. I hadn't actually realised that I had grabbed it again. I released it immediately, thinking him a quick apology before I turned my focus back onto the four vampires in front of us who were starting to spread out slightly, stepping closer to us and moving in unison. I focused harder on Edward's gift that I ever had. I needed to hear everything.

_"We should have destroyed the redhead. She failed."_

_"Aro will be displeased."_

_Who is this new vampire? Aro did not tell us about her."_

_"Bells looks good..."_

My eyes flashed to the tall, thin vampire in the grey cloak. His internalized lust was unexpected and slightly nauseating. I wondered briefly how Edward was controlling himself because I was fucking struggling.

_"I knew those cloaked vampires knew what _she_ was doing. These yellow eyes aren't dangerous at all."_ The thought caught me off guard. My head snapped in the direction of the newborn who was still on the ground next to the fire.

_"Edward, are you hearing this shit?"_ I thought, trying to keep track of the newborn, Edward and the four Volturi members in front of me. I was finding it difficult. Edward's rage was barely contained now, I didn't need to channel Jasper to know that. It was rolling off of him and I could practically taste it. I felt myself heading towards that kind of anger rapidly and that was not something that I had the ability to control... I wouldn't want to. If the young one was right, if her thoughts were accurate -and I could tell that they were- then the Volturi had known about the newborns and what Victoria was doing. The scheming, double standard-using fuckers had allowed this to happen. The four figures lifted their hands, wrapping their fingers around the cowls that covered their head and dropped the hoods on their cloaks, revealing their faces. Two of the males winked in Bella's direction and my skin just fucking crawled. Seriously, it felt like I had insects buried under my skin. My hand fisted and clenched as I tried to control myself. I winced at hot flashes shot through my shoulder but I didn't stop the movement in my hand. I needed to do something to control myself as the little vampire, Jane, took a long sweeping look at the assembled vampires in front of her.

"I don't understand," Jane's voice betrayed her, as did her mind. She knew exactly what was happening and didn't like the idea of a witness. _"If that one knows about our meeting with her sire..."_

"She surrendered," I snapped, dragging her attention away from the young one. Jane's glare fell on my and her mind was flurried with confusion.

"And who are you?"

"Family," I sneered, meeting her gaze with as much intensity as I could muster. Like fucking hell was this elf of a vampire going to try and intimidate me. She had nothing on me and I was already trying to pull her gift forward at the same time as Edward's. Bitch had to think before she acted and I could shift gifts quicker than she could bring hers forward. She wanted more information from me and I wasn't giving it up. All she would need was my name and then this whole fucking party was over and the young one would be killed before I could play_ that_ little trump card. That was essentially our get out of jail free card right now and I was not going to play it until I was sure we got _everything_ that we could from the Volturi guard members. Shit wasn't adding up anymore.

"She surrendered?" Jane asked, shifting her attention back to the young one on the ground and my teeth gritted at the thought of her being anywhere near the girl. My temper was spiraling badly and had to be supported by Jasper as I schooled myself.

"Carlisle gave her the option," Edward explained.

"There are no options for those who break the rules," Jane sneered and I was forcing myself to lock my muscles in place. The urge to call 'bullshit' was ridiculous.

Carlisle took a step forward. "That's in your hands. As long as she was willing to halt her attack on us, I saw no reason to destroy her. She was never taught."

"That is irrelevant," Jane snapped coldly. As much as she was trying to mask her thoughts, words like collateral damage found their way to the forefront of her psyche. "Aro hoped that we would get far enough west to see you, Carlisle," She said, changing the tone of her voice so quickly, my head nearly spun. She sounded so sweet now, I swear I was going to get a sugar rush, never mind the human behind me. "He send's his regards."

"I would appreciate if you could convey mines to him," Carlisle offered graciously.

Jane smiled widely at him and my fist clenched automatically. I did NOT like her looking at my family. I wanted to gouge her goddamn eyes out. "Of course! It appears you have done our work for us today, for the most part. Just out of professional curiosity, how many were there? They left quite a wake of destruction in Seattle." The newborns thoughts were running wild, bouncing from acceptance of her intended fate to hatred for her sire, her confusion as to why we were defending her and outrage at the little cloaked vampire and her lies.

Thankfully Carlisle answered Jane before I had a chance to listen to too much of the young one's head. "Eighteen, including this one."

"Eighteen?" She asked, looking genuinely shocked. _"There was more than that when we spoke to the redhead,"_ She thought.

"All brand new," Carlisle added. "They were unskilled."

"All? Who was there creator?" Jane demanded.

_"As if they haven't already been introduced..."_ The young one thought wryly. My gaze snapped in her direction and I could have laughed my ass off. _"This one is a bigger liar that Riley and HER. This one is so much better at it than him."_

_"Edward, are you fucking hearing this?"_ I growled inside my head.

"_Calm down, Kals,"_ He and Jasper thought in unison. Jasper helped me again while Edward answered Jane's question.

"Her name was Victoria."

"Was?"

Edward jerked his chin towards the mountainside where a thin pillar of deep purple smoke was snaking it's way towards the sky. I couldn't help but feel proud as hell at my brother. Eddie-boy took care of business. I was distracted from that thought by that of the newborn next to the fire. She was pleased her sire was dead. No, pleased was an understatement. Ecstatic or delirious would have been a more accurate description. Unfortunately, so was the little Volturi vampire.

_"At least she can't talk..."_ Jane thought dryly. "This Victoria..." She asked slowly, "She was in addition to the eighteen here?"

"Yes, her and one other. He wasn't as young as this one but no older than a year," Edward confirmed. The newborns joy at the destruction of the other vampire. She called him Riley in her head and identified him as the one who 'took care' of the newborns for Victoria. I was suddenly quite happy that the fucker was dead.

_"If - okay- when I die today, at least I'm not leaving that loose thread. Diego has been avenged."_

Her musings made my heart hurt a little more than it had been. I would NOT let anything happen to her. I couldn't, not now.

"Twenty... Who dealt with the creator?" Jane asked.

"I did," Edward replied and I didn't miss the tiniest hint of smugness in his voice. Another little burst of pride erupted within me. I was so fucking proud of him right now that I could barely stand it. I could barely suppress that notion before I was brought back to reality by Jane glaring at the young one on the floor.

"You there," She growled, "Your name?"

_"I'm not giving this vampire anything," _The young one thought courageously.. As much as I admired her tenacity, this was not going to end well for her. She was totally screwed. Jane's eyes narrowed dramatically as she regarded the young one before she smiled, giving her an almost angelic appearance. I said almost. The newborn at my feet shrieked in agony. Her mind was fuzzy and incoherent and my aching heart just shattered as I watched it. The only pain she could compare it to was the pain of the burning transformation she had gone through.

"Your name!" Jane snarled as the newborn was released from the fire.

"Bree," She mumbled, trying to catch a ragged breath before she was writhing on the ground screaming again. Her mind was more focused this time. Silently, the young one, Bree, begged for death. She knew that there was a mind-reader amongst our family and was confused as to why we wouldn't help her.

_"Edward," _I begged silently as my eyes stung with venom. _"Make this stop. Help me make this stop, please?"_

"She'll tell you anything you want to know," Edward growled roughly. "You don't have to do that." The screams stopped and Bree gasped sharply as the fire extinguished. I wanted to go to her- wrap my arms around her and keep her safe but I couldn't do that. It still too dangerous.

"I know I don't," Jane sneered before turning back to Bree. I needed to focus. I schooled myself, bringing Jane's gift to the front of my mind as I held Edward's in place. Jasper, feeling my attempts to focus and my building resolve, helped bolster my concentration, allowing me to keep both gifts 'active', as it were. "Bree? Is his story true? Were their twenty of you?" Jane's mind indicated that Victoria had said there were twenty two newborns. The missing numbers, in Jane's mind, would have to be silenced as well. Thankfully, Bree was quick on the uptake, answering immediately.

"Nineteen, twenty, maybe more, I don't know. Sara and one who's name I didn't know got into a fight on the way here." Bree's mind readied herself for more pain and she was more than relieved that no more came.

"And this Victoria- did she create you?"

"I don't know," Bree admitted. "Riley never said her name. He didn't want us to be able to think of her. He said our thoughts weren't safe." Jane shot a quick look towards Edward before she continued.

"Tell me about Riley," Jane said almost sweetly. I could see from her head that she wasn't looking evidence anymore. She was doing damage control now- finding out exactly how much Bree knew to see how many lies she would have to tell. "Why did he bring you here?"

"Riley told us that we had to destroy the strange yellow-eyes here. He said it would be easy. He said that the city was theirs and they were coming for us. He said that once they were gone, all the blood would be ours. He gave us her scent-" She jabbed a finger at Bella. "He said that we would know we had the right coven because she would be with them. He said whoever got to her first could have her." Edward's jaw clenched involuntarily and his teeth ground together.

"It looks like Riley was wrong about the easy part," Jane remarks. The minds of the other guards showed them to be relieved. This was the story they wanted us to know. They knew that there was a mind reader amongst us. Aro would have told them about Edward's gift after his, Alice and Bella's jaunt to Volterra in the spring. To them, if that is all that the newborn new, they were in the clear. To Bree's credit, she let us know everything that we needed to about their lies and deception and for that, if there was a way for me to make sure that she lived through this, I was taking it regardless of what it cost me. sadly, Jane's mind was already set on destroying the young one. If I did nothing else on this earth, the guard member, Jane, would die under my hands. She would be shown the same level of mercy that she was intending to show Bree.

"I don't know what happened," Bree admitted. "We split up but the others never came. And Riley left us and he didn't come to help like he promised. And then it was so confusing and everyone was in pieces. I was afraid; I wanted to run away," She looked pointedly at Carlisle. "THAT one said they wouldn't hurt me if I stopped fighting."

"Ah, but that wasn't his gift to give, young one," Jane smirked. My hands re-clenched with the urge to just punch her in the face. Her mind was rattling through all the different ways this young one would die before the Volturi were exposed. "Broken rules demand consequences," She rounded on Carlisle. "Are you sure you got them all? The other half that split off?"

"We split up too," Carlisle nodded. It was a plausible enough response. The young ones were fucking awful fighters.

"I can't deny that I am impressed," Jane said, her voice almost sounding sincere. "I've never seen a coven survive an attack of this magnitude in tact. What was behind it?" Why was the girl the key?" Her gaze glided over Bella in a way that made me want to hurt her...badly.

"Victoria held a grudge against Bella," Edward said flatly. It was the best way to answer that question. The less information THEY got, the better it was for us. Jane smiled widely at Bella and I felt the spike in her gifts, I could hear it in her head as she tried to push the painless burn onto Bella. My chest vibrated with the soundless growl that was in serious danger of escaping. If it wasn't for the fact that Bella stood still and appeared to be fine, Jane would be missing a head and no amount of Volturi guard members would have been able to stop me.

"Would you please not do that?" Edward asked, his fury bubbling visibly under the surface of the calm exterior he had been presenting.

"Just checking. No harm done," Jane said lightly, breaking her stare to roam the crowd before her. "Well it appears that there's not much left for us to do. We're not used to being rendered useless." Venom surged in my dead veins at her declaration. I couldn't control myself anymore.

"If you pulled your head out of your arses and been here half an hour ago, you might have been some use," I sneered.

"You might have been able to do your job," Edward continued, much to the pleasure of Bree. She thought she was going to die and her final act had been to let us know that the Volturi were bullshitting. She was proud of herself and I was just as fucking proud as she was.

"Yes, quite a pity how things turn out, isn't it?" Jane quipped. My fist clenched again. Bree's thoughts distracted me again as she began to consider her time here finished and she was ready to die. She had given us every last thing that she could and she knew it was her time... or so she thought.

"Felix?" Jane called over her shoulder, beckoning the great big vampire to her.

"Wait!" Edward called. He turned to me and Carlisle. "We could explain the rules to the young one. She doesn't see unwilling to learn. She didn't know what she was doing."

"Of course," Carlisle nodded seriously.

"I am more than willing to take responsibility for Bree," I said, stepping closer to her. Jane's mind flew into a rage. She needed this young one dead in order to get rid of any trace of the Volturi's involvement or lack thereof with regard to the newborn army and was not willing to back down.

"We don't make exceptions and we don't give second chances," She smirked as her eyes trained back onto Bella. "Which reminds me...Caius will be so interested to hear you are still human, Bella. Perhaps he will decide to visit..."

"The date is set," Alice declared as she spoke for the first time since the Guard's arrival. Pure, unadulterated rage and hate bled through the air and it was coming from Jane. Her complete disdain and hatred for Alice was astonishing, and it's fervor would honestly drive someone insane... maybe it already had. Whatever the reason for her enmity towards the Pixie, it took her a second to compose herself after it hit her. She turned to Carlisle, smiling sweetly again. That shit was really creeping me out.

"It was so nice to meet you, Carlisle- I'd thought Aro was exaggerating. Well, until we meet again."

"_This is it, then,"_ Bree thought. _"I wish I could tell Fred about all this. He is smart though, he will be okay. I get to see Diego again now..."_

"Take care of that, Felix. I want to go home now," Jane said indifferently. Bree closed her eyes, preparing for the worst.

**_"OH FUCK THIS!"_** I bellowed, moving faster than I had all day. I was instantly crouched in front of Bree; Hands clawed, muscles coiled, teeth bared and chest rumbling violently as vicious growls ripped through me. "You can destroy her over my burning pile of _fucking _ashes!"

The clearing was full of statues. The air was still except for the beating of Bella's heart, the crackling of the bonfire and the feral snarls erupting from me. Felix froze mid step, about twenty feet away from my defensive position in front of Bree.

"Excuse me?" Jane snarled, her eyes boring into mine.

"Don't even fucking think about it, bitch. Or I promise you, you will know what it feels like to fucking burn." I threatened, when I felt her abilities spike.

"What do you think you are doing?" She demanded.

"You will not harm this child without going through me first." My glare switched onto the tall, lean guard to Jane's right, who for some reason was laughing like an idiot.

"Demitri, enough! Now, what makes you think I won't kill you right here, right now?"

The collective gasp from my family couldn't mask the laughter that bubbled up my throat. To an outsider, I must have sounded mad. I felt the familiar pounding and burning in the back of my head and I fought to keep the vision out of my mind, shoving it back as far as I could and with Jasper helping me manage the pain.

"Jane, you can't kill me. You don't have the speed, the skill or the fucking guts to try it on your own," I said confidently. "Besides, your master doesn't want me dead and well you fucking know it."

"My master would see all those who break the rules punished," She snarled. My eyes rolled in my head. Time to play the 'name' card.

"There is a list of vampires that the Volturi Attack Squads are issued with every so often. You know, the one that lists the immortals who, under no circumstances are to be harmed? How far up that list do you think Kali Douglas is?" I asked calmly, watching as her mind scrolled through the list in her mind... Fucking awesome. Fourth from the top... and by default, untouchable. My gift was to valuable to waste. If the Volturi guard came after me, I was a capture case- Not a kill case.

"Kali, what is this list? Why are me and Alice on it?" Edward thought.

"It's the list of vampires that Aro wants to 'acquire'. They are valuable to the Volturi in one way or another." I replied silently, never taking my eyes off of Jane.

_"Why is she doing this? "_ Bree thought. _"I'm not worth this."_

"Hmm... it seems that you are valuable to our Master..." Jane said coolly. "That new born, however, broke the law. Punishment is demanded for those who break the law."

"The punishing of the guilty party, by Volturi law, only stands of the accused has been taught our ways and then flouts them," I proposed. "As her sire taught her neither the art of discretion or the necessity for it, she is innocent in the eyes of our laws." I needed all legal arguments in our favour as well as the fact that I was willing to kill anyone who got close to Bree. If I got our laws to assist us, The Volturi had to back down.

"There are _NO_ exceptions when it comes to the matter of newborns," Jane growled. "Besides, she has no sire. Her sire is dead and she is out of control!"

"Again, Jane, that is going on the assumption that the newborn has been left without the proper guidance. That guidance can be provided by any mature coven or individual vampire willing to shoulder that responsibility. Bree has both the Cullen family and myself willing to look after her. Your arguments hold no weight here and you still have to get through me to get to her. You are fucked." Out of my peripheral vision, I saw Felix take a half step forward. My resulting snarl caused Bree to flinch behind me and Felix to freeze again. "Keep your guard dog back from me or I will break him in half," I threatened. With a quick jerk of her head, Jane called Felix back to her side. Felix, meanwhile, was eying up the numerous scars on my exposed skin and trying to determine how much of a fight someone as battle-hardened as me would give him. I would end him. I cocked an eyebrow at him, earning a smirk in return.

_"Kali, you are going to win this,"_ Alice thought. _"Just keep focused. Jazz, and Edward will help as much as possible."_ Following Alice's advice had never steered me wrong and like fuck was I going to start ignoring her now. I kept my concentration trained onto where it was required.

"I see no reason why you cannot go and consult with your masters and allow them to make the decision," Carlisle said evenly. "If Aro decrees it, we will bring Bree to Italy."

"In the mean time, she stays with me." I concluded, leaving no room for argument.

_"KALI!"_ Alice screamed in my head. _"Jane will use her power on Bree in ten seconds. It will distract you long enough for Demitri to get you out of the way and Felix will get to Bree." _I nodded once before focusing my full concentration onto Jane's gift. The painless fire filled my mind and I was desperate for an excuse to push it out.

"You and the other three are no longer welcome here, Jane. I suggest you consult with your masters before returning again," I sneered, as I began to count in my head, waiting for the attack on Bree._ Three... Two... One..._

Bree screeched loudly as her body contorted unnaturally on the ground. I fought to stay in control, gritting my teeth as Demitri and Felix stepped forward. Ignoring them, I pulled the burning in my head forward, shoving it away from me with as much force as I could, aiming it at Jane. The little vampire's screams replaced Bree's as she fell to her knees in agony. The two advancing guard members about turned and tried to help Jane.

"I warned you once, bitch, I will not warn you again. If you attack me or my family, it will be real fire you feel," I promised, pulling the fire back, allowing Jane to right herself. "Go back to where you come from and if I see you anywhere near my family again, _I will fucking kill you."_

"My masters will not tolerate this insolence. They will deal with you as you deserve," She spat, dusting the front of her robes.

"Good, I look forward to it," My lips pulled into a demented version of a smile. _"Now, fuck off!"_

The four guard members snarled at me as the turned away and walked out of the clearing. I held my defensive position until they were completely out of sight.

_"Jesus Christ,"_ I gasped as I fell forward onto my hands and knees. I was mentally exhausted, physically in pain and emotionally charged. I was so fucked up, I barely registered Edward and Carlisle helping me to sit up.

"Kali, are you alright?" Carlisle asked, feeling the sides of my face and head.

"I'm fine. Is Bree alright?" I asked, turning to see Bree being mothered my Esme. Jasper hovered over her, helping her control her urges and reactions to Bella's scent. I took a deep breath through my nose, trying to settle myself when the dull burn in the back of my throat told me that something was wrong.

"Bella, have you been bleeding?" I asked, peering around Alice to look at her.

"She helped me with Victoria and Riley," Edward offered, helping me stand up. I focused on his mind, watching as Bella drug a sharp rock into her arm, turning the snow beneath her feet a delicious crimson colour.

"I'm going to _fucking_ slap you for that, Swan," I growled as I turned to Carlisle. "What's the verdict, Doc? Will I survive?"

"You'll be fine," He said, squeezing me into a hug. "I have to get to La Push to see to Jacob. Edward, take Bella to our house and Alice will drop her off home, then come to me. Kali, you and the other boys will take Bree hunting."

"Well, thanks for the run down, chief," Emmett scoffed, barging through the assembled family members to lift me into a very painful hug, spinning around as the others started to move.

"Put me down! That fucking hurts!" I squealed, winching as pain shot through my newly healed shoulder. " I just had this reattached, you dumbass!"

"Kali, if I haven't said it already, you are awesome!" He bellowed, letting me go.

"Thanks, Em," I held my fist up and bumped it with his before I turned to the young one who was still on the ground. "Bree, are you alright?" I asked, helping her onto her feet once Bella and Alice were out of the clearing.

"I'm okay," She mumbled, keeping her eyes lowered and her posture subservient. It pissed me off.

"Bree, what's wrong?" Jasper asked. He paused for a second before scowling. "Don't. You are worth it, Bree. Kali wouldn't have done that if you weren't. I wouldn't have helped her do that if you weren't." I looked from my brother to Bree and back again before placing a hand onto one of her small shoulders.

"Bree, you gave us what we needed to protect our family. We protected you as a thank you. Unfortunately, it means you are stuck with us until you gain control..."

"That's alright!" she yelped, startling herself. "I mean.. I..I don't mind."

"Good," I smiled. " Now, my name is Kali and I will be responsible for you for the foreseeable future. Myself, Jasper and our brother, Emmett will be taking you out to hunt right now and then we will head back to the house. We need to get you out of here tonight. We will stop over in Seattle before heading south."

"What about Fred?" She cried, looking up at me with big, red puppy-dog eyes.

"Where is Fred?" I asked, reshuffling the plan that I had began to put together in my head.

"Vancouver. In Riley Park. He is waiting for me," She said. "He is on his own and doesn't know about all this. He knows Riley lied but doesn't know about the Volturi or you guys and you are all so nice and I..."

"Breathe, Bree," I said, rubbing her arm, trying to calm her down. " We will go to him if you want. But I am warning you. He either comes with us, or I will destroy him. I can't her newborns related to this situation here roaming around. It will mean trouble for everyone." She just nodded in response.

"Are we hunting now?" Emmett asked impatiently.

"Fuck off, Emmett. You hunted two days ago so you aren't thirsty. Just give her a minute to get her shit together will ya?"

"Sorry, Kali, Bree."

"That's alright. Remember, brain first, mouth second."

"Bite me,"

"And mark your pretty, unblemished baby skin? Rose would kick my ass!" I chuckled, rubbing my shoulder as the muscles tightened. "Shit... You ready to hunt, Bree?"

"I hunted two days ago as well?" She said, but it sounded more like a question than anything else.

"So? I hunted two days ago and I'm going. When we get back to the house, you will be around Bella and I want to stuff as much blood into you as physically possible to make that easier on you. Are you thirsty?" I was met with silence so I could only assume she was in need of sustainance.

"Bree, dude, it's totally okay! It's because you're new," Emmett explained.

"How the hell is that even a sentence?" I asked. "How many times have you been to school, Em?"

"Shut it," He grumbled, kicking a rock along the ground.

"Fuck it, let's hunt. I think the hunting should be fun today, the deer will be hiding because of all the noise."

"Excuse me?" Bree looked at us like we had grown another head.

"We don't hunt humans, Bree. Animals do the job just fine. Now, shift it. I want out of here before seven tonight." I shoved Emmett, driving him towards the woods. Jasper came to my side as Bree walked in front of us into the woods.

"You alright, Darlin'?" Jazz asked as we picked up the pace and started to run.

"Yeah, Jazz," I said, turning and giving him a little smile. "Just been a really shit week."

"Well, you are gonna have some interesting ones now that you have her."

"I couldn't leave her behind, Jazz. You could feel what she was feeling. It nearly crippled me hearing it." A hand reached out, wrapping around my own and a pulse of love and support shot up my arm.

"I know, Kali. I'm glad you chose to help her."

"Me too, Jazz. Me too..."

* * *

**_Author Note- There you have it. Kali saved Bree and is going to find Fred. The next chapter is the end of Part 1 of this story. It will have three parts and it's going nowhere soon, so don't panic. _**

**_Thanks again to content1. I DID IT! =P_**

**_Next chapter is called "This time around". Hopefully you guys will come back and read it. _**

**_Lemme know what you think. ;-)_**

**_Kalika87 (Amanda)_**


	29. This Time Around

**_Author Note - I am not dead. I promise. Real life took me outside and kicked my ass hard. Hopefully I will be firing these up now. _**

**_this chapter... changes and a lot of them._**

**_Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight... I own a boxset of criminal minds, series four with the episode of Jackson Rathbone in it. I almost died. _**

**_Thanks to Content1 for ... everything. as a beta and a valibeta... I couldnt ask for a better red pen weilder. :) _**

**_Now, on with it!_**

* * *

**_All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. _**

**_~Anatole France_**

Chapter 29

This Time Around

"So, you don't hunt humans?"

"No, Bree, we don't. You crave blood, not humans. The source of the blood is irrelevant," I noted as myself, Bree and my brothers worked our way through the thick set of trees. "Did it never occur to you why our eyes are different colours?"

"Riley said it was because you were old and weak..."

I couldn't help the laughter that got away from me. "Yeah, because Riley was big on honesty... It's because we hunt animals, Bree. Human blood gives you red eyes. Animal blood will give you gold eyes like ours."

"Huh? That's kind of cool..."

"I'm glad you think so."

"So it's possible to live without human blood?"

"I sincerely hope so. Otherwise, I have been making an arse of myself for the last four hundred years," I joked.

"Four hundred years? How old are you?" Bree asked incredulously.

"Six hundred and two," I stated, stretching the long muscles in my legs, propelling myself forward with Bree by my side and Jasper bringing up the rear.

"Kali, deer herd, half a mile south," Emmett yelled behind him in our direction. I turned to Bree, putting a hand on her shoulder and bringing her to a graceful stop. The nervous energy was dripping off of her as she began to panic.

"Bree, calm down," Jasper warned, shoving a forced calm over her.

"Don't worry, Bree. Your body knows what it needs and how to get it. We have all been where you are and we will help you," I offered. "Close your eyes and allow your other senses to roam, find the scent that is most appealing to you and go for it."

I released my grip on her arm, throwing a quick look to Jasper, who nodded his head sharply. He was reading Bree's emotions and he was letting me know that she was ready. "Take a deep breath through your nose and move when you are ready, Bree," I whispered, before moving away from her, giving her space to acclimatise to the new hunting technique we had shown her. With one strong inhale, her closed eyes flew open and she took off like a rocket towards the elk herd that Emmett had suggested. As she reached the animals, her instinct truly kicked in, allowing her to hunt in peace. I went with her, figuring the fresh blood would help with my shoulder.

I hissed loudly when the blood hit my body, healing the last of the broken connections in my arm. As I dropped the drained body, I rolled my shoulder. It felt a bit tight, but compared to it being detached, a bit stiff was just fine by me.

"Urgh, that's disgusting!" Bree complained loudly, as she pulled herself away from her second elk.

"It's never going to taste like human blood, Bree. It will, however, allow you to resist it," Jasper advised as he started disposing of my kill for me. "Do you need to keep hunting?"

"I feel kinda full," Bree muttered, bouncing on the spot. "I don't know... kinda sloshy?" She looked uncomfortable and I knew for a fact that it was due to the amount of blood she just had shoved into her. It was necessary though. We had to... I had to keep her safe until we could leave and the best way to do that was to feed her to the point of pain and get her to hold her breath. It wasn't ideal, but it would have to do for now.

"How are you feeling, Bree?" I asked, dumping my kill and Bree's into its makeshift grave.

"I'm done hunting but I will probably be thirsty in a couple of days..." Her eyes fell to the ground as her hands began to fidget at her sides.

"Dude," Emmett boomed. "That's totally okay! It's because you are new!" I wanted to slap him, I honestly did. I was truly convinced that he didn't have a tactful thought in his entire head. This young one was scared, nervous and apprehensive and the big goof ball basically just yelled in her face and called her a baby. "It will get better though, I promise." 'And on that note, he is no longer a dumbass,' I thought with a giggle.

"Like Emmett said, the thirst is bad right now because you are so young," Jasper offered, finally righting him. "It will get easier to manage with practice and time." I felt a swell of love for my brothers as they tried to reassure Bree. They were good guys, really.

"Right, we have to get back to the house," I said, moving to take Bree's hand for support. "WE need to pack up and leave. It's not safe for me or you to be here right now, honey."

"Wait," Emmett growled suddenly. Thrown by the tone of his voice, I whipped around to face him and was shocked by the look on his face. He looked so hurt and angry. "Where will you go?"

"It's not safe for Bree to be around Bella, Emmett. I need to get her out of here. They know I am protecting her and if they come after me, I can't bring them here. I need to go."

"But..."

"I don't want to argue with you, Emmett. Believe me, I wish there was another way of doing this, but there just isn't. It's this, or me and this one" I pulled on Bree's hand, bringing her forward. "Take a trip to Italy that neither of us comes back from."

"I don't like it," He grumbled, pouting and folding his huge arms.

"I don't either. I love you guys and this is killing me, but right now, I... WE don't have much of a choice," I mumbled, stepping forward and wrapping my fingers around his wrist, opening his arms and stepping into them. When his arms closed around me, I felt the safety that only a big brother can provide. "I hate this, Em, but I chose this. I chose to help her and I will. When it is safe, we will come back." I didn't need to tag on the 'I promise' that I wanted to. I had never lied to any of my family and I wasn't about to start now.

"Kali, we need to head back, darlin'. They are waiting on us." Jasper had moved to stand with Bree, keeping her in place while I got Emmett under control. I appreciated the gesture. I was already saying goodbye to them in my head and I needed to start spreading out this misery or it would flat-out kill me.

"Kali?" Bree's voice broke through the fuzzy mess in my head that was threatening to crush me at that moment. "Can we go to Fred? He is alone and he's waiting for me and he doesn't-"

I raised my hand to interrupt her. "Bree, where is he?"

"Riley Park, in Vancouver. He went there to wait on me and he is only there until tomorrow and-"

"Stop it," I chastised softly, walking to her and giving her a quick hug. When I released her, I looked into her almost glowing red eyes. "We will go and get him, but we need to pack up a couple of things first, okay?"

"Okay," She murmured, a small smile playing on the corner of her lips.

"Two newborns, Kali..." Jasper warned quietly, shaking his head almost imperceptibly. I glared at him viciously.

"Not now, Jazz," I warned him, pulling Bree back in the direction of the house. I knew what he was going to say and I didn't want to hear it. I knew exactly how dangerous the situation that I was contemplating was. One newborn vampire would be hard enough to control, but two would be so much more difficult. Not impossibly so, but to call it a challenge would be a serious understatement. "We can head back to the house now, and be on the road in two hours. We will go to Fred and make sure he is alright."

"Thank you." Her fervent response caught me off guard. How was it possible that someone so young could care enough about anything other than herself? She was brilliant. The more I focused on her, the more I felt it... It was like a strength that came from her, bolstering everyone around her. It was like...

"Bree, did you know you are gifted?" I asked when I finally figured out what I felt. It was subtle, almost intangible, but it was there. She was amplifying the abilities of those around her. I couldn't place it before because my head was too crowded... but now, I could definitely feel it. My own gift felt stronger. The ropes in my head weren't as far apart or as heavy to pull.

"You mean, like Fred?" She asked, slightly shocked by my little outburst.

"Fred is gifted? What does he do?"

"I don't know, really... He kinda grosses people out," She shrugged, toeing the earth at her feet. "I mean, he can make it stop, but when he puts it on, you can't even look at him without feeling sick. It's weird,"

"Will he try to repel me if I go and find him?"

"He won't repel me," She replied confidently. "He's waiting on me."

"Well, let's not keep him waiting then..."

*._()_.*

"Are you sure you have to do this?" My mother pleaded for the eighth time, taking my wrist in a vice grip and squeezing until it actually hurt. Placing my hand over hers and smoothing the back of her hand with my thumb, I tried to placate her worried state. It wasn't going to work, I knew that, but I had to try something.

"What other option do I have, Esme? I have to get her out of here. It's not safe for us to be around you guys right now." My free hand ran through my hair for the forty-third time since we had got home and I sighed heavily.

We had been having this discussion for the past two hours and, honestly, I was getting sick of it. The only reason that I was still here was that Carlisle and Edward weren't back yet. They had been at La Push putting Jacob back together and we hadn't heard from them. If it wasn't for the fact that I knew that the wolves would behave and let them help, I would have been fucking terrified for them. So we waited. I packed up a couple of bags, got some paper work ready and waited. Alice had abducted my new ward and dragged her upstairs as part of an emergency make-over and complete wardrobe fitting. According to the Pixie, it was entirely necessary and could not be put off until we made it back home. From her thoughts, Bree was terrified of the powerhouse that was Alice.

"When will Carlisle and Edward be home?" I asked as I stuffed the last of my travel clothes into a backpack.

"Twelve minutes," Alice called from somewhere in the depths of her bathroom. "Hold still, Bree. This will go a lot quicker if you just behave."

"Christ, that sounds familiar..." I mumbled, recalling the first time Alice let loose on me. I was highly sympathetic to the young one at that moment. "Just go easy on her, Alice. I have to drive in a car with her. Will you be done torturing Bree any time soon?"

"If she is compliant..." I couldn't help but laugh at my little sister's tone as I zipped the last of our bags shut. She was completely absurd sometimes.

As I dumped the last bag in the hallway, I realised that I had three months; Three months until it would be safe to bring Fred and Bree back here. Bella would be changed, Fred and Bree would be safe around humans by then and I could come home. The feeling of loss hit me hard, punching me right in the chest and leaving a massive hole there. It was difficult to think around it and breathe through it. This was fucking awful.

"Kals, are you alright? You look like you want to puke," Emmett teased, nudging me and breaking me from my, as usual, morose and morbid monologue.

"Yeah, I'm alright, Em. Can you take this out to the Hummer for me?'' I held out the last of the bags that I had packed and tried to smile… pretty sure it looked more like a pained grimace though. He looked down at me as I sat on the sofa and patted my shoulder, giving it a little squeeze.

"Sure thing, sis." He took the canvas backpack from me and turned on his heel, marching out of the room and through the front door. He had been uncharacteristically quiet since I had told him we needed to leave and it was worrying the hell out of me.

"He'll be fine, you know?" My head whipped around to look at Jasper, standing at the foot of the stairs, his body turned to face them, ready to bolt at the first sign that Alice was in any danger. Not fucking likely though. She handled herself with style during the fight with the newborns and taking control of Bree would be simple as hell. Jasper didn't even have it in him to turn around to look at me when he talked. The concern and stress was still pouring out of him as he ran his hand over his newest bite wound. "He's just missing you already.''

I smiled sadly and stood, giving Esme's hand a little squeeze before standing and moving in front of him. "And you, Major Whitlock?"

"Does it even need saying?"

"Normally, no, it wouldn't, but I am feeling awkward and annoying right now." I winked playfully and shoved his shoulder.

"You feel like a smartass," He interrupted. His grin spread across his face and highlighted a few of the old scars on his cheek and eyebrow.

"Well, you would know how I feel, soldier…"

"I'll miss you like crazy, Darlin'," He murmured, pulling me in for a bone-crushing hug. Warm feelings of love and support filtered from his body to mines, making my chest feel a little lighter. While wrapped up in my brother's arms, I took the opportunity to deposit a single key into his back pocket with a grin. Upon feeling the slightly weight against the denim of his jeans, Jasper frowned and pulled back, reaching and retrieving the little metal object, holding it in his palm and letting his jaw hang open. I just laughed at the expression on his face.

"Is there a problem, Jazz?" I asked, lifting a hand and closing his mouth for him. He seemed to be lacking the ability to do it for himself at that moment.

"Kali, this is the key for the Maserati…" He whispered-yelled, leaning forward to inspect the key more closely; a completely pointless act considering out natural abilities as a vampire would allow him to see every slight imperfection in the metal. ''You can't be serious…''

"You, of all people, should know how serious I feel, Jasper. It's not a gift. I'm letting you borrow it until I get back and, so help me, if there is one single scratch on my baby when I get home, I will rip your head off and use it as a hood ornament. Are we clear?''

"Yes, Ma'am," He barked, snapping a salute and grinning like a fool.

"Sarcastic fucker," I laughed, ruffling his shaggy blonde curls with my hand and clapped him on the shoulder as he re-pocketed the key. Our attention was drawn suddenly to a rather shaken, but more suitably dressed, Bree as she descended down the stairs, the Evil pixie fast on her heels and gibbering a million miles an hour about hair products and clothes and shoes and colour coding and I tuned her out to save my own sanity.

"Isn't she perfect, Kali?" Alice asked excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet, vibrating with the thrill of her most recent Barbie doll conquest.

"Alice, she is fucking terrified! What did you do to her?" I demanded playfully, reaching a hand out to Bree and bringing her close to me and slightly behind, acting as a shield between her and the fashion crazed little vampire in front of us.

"I only showed her the importance or the correct skincare ritual and exfoliation.'' Alice pouted, folding her little arms across her chest with a huff of breath. I gawked at the absurdity of her statement.

"Alice, none of that stuff will work properly on her… her skin is just like yours. You know, impermeable? Why would you show her that and not more tips on how to look human until I get her someplace safe?''

"Because, it's important."

"Bullshit, why it is important?" I demanded a little more firmly, turning to have a look at Bree who looked like a reject from those bad MTV shows Alice insisted on watching over and over again. You know, the ones that make you feel like your head is melting and your eyes and ears are bleeding… yeah, those ones.

"Because it just is!" She yelped, stomping her foot like a kid throwing a tantrum.

"You just wanted to play Barbie again, Alice. Don't kid yourself or anyone else in here, it isn't going to work," I pointed out, reasonably amused at her attitude.

"I like to live a little vicariously and my normal play toy isn't here. Sue me." She rolled her eyes before winking at me.

"I'll be sure and tell Bella you said that." I teased

"You do that," She countered, directing a returning Emmett up to my bedroom to retrieve another bag. I sighed at the thought. There was only one more upstairs and the one at my feet. We were so close to leaving now and the rest of my family wasn't back yet. I was getting increasingly more nervous and stressed at the fact that I might have to leave and not get the chance to say goodbye. Alice put a stop to that line of thinking with a tiny hand on my forearm. "They will be here before you have to leave, Kali. I promise."

"I just really need to see them before I go," I murmured, looking down at the ground and covering Alice's hand with one of my own. I knew I wouldn't cope for months on end without saying goodbye. It wouldn't feel right. Just the thought brought the hollow feeling back into the middle of my chest and it throbbed and stung like hell. My family held my heart in their hands…. And I was leaving it behind with them.

"Kali, I'm seriously going to need a Kleenex if you keep this up," Jasper muttered, placing a hand on my lower back, a single finger of his coming in contact with the exposed skin between my baggy pants and my shirt, bleeding a strong sense of comfort through my body. I turned to see his face tight as he wrestled with my widely swinging emotions, breathing a sigh of relief as the sound of Carlisle's Mercedes turning onto the driveway and Bella's heartbeat filled the room. "Thank God!" Jasper exclaimed, releasing my back when he felt my spike of happiness at their nearing. I turned on the spot and grabbed Bree's wrist, pulling her to me and behind me, standing between her and the ever-appealing heartbeat that was making its way up the front steps of the house.

As they made their way through the house to the living room, I listened, measuring everything around me; Bella's heartbeat, Bree's body posture behind me, the minds of those present and Jasper's gentle and careful manipulations of the emotions and moods around us. Carlisle appeared firs and if it were possible, he looked exhausted. His usually youthful and bright face was creased along the forehead with what Jasper's thoughts were telling me, was worry. Edward was directly behind him, his eyes trained in Bree's direction, his jaw clenched and his posture mirroring my own; protecting Bella from the newborn.

"Bree won't get near Bella, Edward. You need to relax," I said evenly, forcing him to drag his attention to me. ''You're making her nervous.'' A wind picked up and blew through the still open door, thrusting a fresh wave of Bella's scent straight for us that made me shudder. Bree whimpered loudly and I could hear her teeth grind together and her lungs stop pushing and pulling air. ""Good girl, Bree," I said, holding her hand tight and pulling her to me, wrapping my arms around her as both a way of comfort and of restraint.

"Is she safe?" Bella asked, looking over my arm and into the back of Bree's head. The sentiment was appropriate enough, but it didn't stop irritation beginning to leak into my system. Asking Bree if she was alright would have been more polite.

"_Kali now is not the time…._'' Edward warned gently, his thoughts sounding clear as a bell inside my head. With a quick and frustrated huff of breath, I nodded my agreement; there were much more important things going on right now and proper decorum really wasn't on the list or priorities. Refocusing my attentions elsewhere, I felt Bree tense and tighten sporadically, fighting her natural instinct to go after the warm blood in the room… she was completely amazing.

"Everyone here is absolutely fine, Bella. However, Alice did get to Bree…'' I trailed off, shooting a glare over to my pixie sister before continuing. "She taught Bree about the importance of exfoliation."

Carlisle chipped in, looking totally puzzled. "But Bree's skin is impermeable… why would you do that, Alice?"

"BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT!" Alice bellowed, causing Emmett to start giggling like a little girl.

"Do you see what I have had to put up with for the past two hours? It's ridiculous," I muttered, giving Bree a quick once over and slightly loosening my grip when I was sure she had at least the most violent parts of herself under control.

"You know what she is like, Kali…" Carlisle said, trying to act as diplomatic as possible, but from his thoughts, he found the concept as absurd as I did.

"Yeah, that makes me feel a lot better," I grumbled, letting my hand slide up and down Bree's arm a little, comforting her as she continued to struggle internally with her thirst. "How's Jacob?"

"He will be fine. Phasing is out of the question for the next few weeks, but he should be alright once his bones set properly," He rattled off, as if it wasn't the first time he had given that little speech. And given the look on Bella and Edward's face, I could only guess who he had first recited it to. "When are you leaving?"

My eyes instantly dropped to the ground, the toe from my very comfortable skating shoes scuffing lightly over the cream carpet. "We needed to leave a little while ago, but we didn't want to go without saying…." I couldn't say the last word. It caught in my throat and felt like it was choking me. I looked up with slightly stinging eyes, realizing that my entire family were here; much like they were weeks ago when they accepted me as one of their own. The only difference this time was that I was leaving. My still heart felt like it was splintering painfully as the silent seconds dragged passed; my resolve crumbling as each one pulled me a little further away from my family. The whole room felt stifling and for a single moment, I felt like curling up in a ball and hiding under the blankets of my bed.

"Kali, I knocked these together when you were getting changed and packed," Jasper murmured, the weight of the emotion in the room causing his voice to crack as he handed me a large, brown envelope. "The ID's are in the Douglas-Cullen name- Bree's as well. Birth certificates, passports and drivers licenses for you both. Two credit cards and a small amount of money are in there too."

"Jazz, when you say a small amount…."

"Forty," he stated, shrugging his shoulders and releasing the envelope into my hands. My eyes rolled at the thought of his idea of a small amount of cash. Forty thousand dollars isn't a small amount, but I was grateful that he had at least thought about it, sending him a quick wave of emotional gratitude as I dropped the envelope into the bag at my feet.

"Thanks, Jazz," I smiled, before dropping my eyes to the floor again. This was it, then. My eyes stung more bitterly than before, clouding slightly at the amount of venom washing over them. Whatever quirk in evolution robbed my kind of the ability to shed tears was a total abomination. The people in front of me, the glorious, wonderful people I was blessed enough to call my family, deserved my love and my tears. "Well, guys, I think it's time," I whispered, releasing my grip on Bree, only for Jazz to take over, allowing me to take a step forward to address my loved ones.

"This fucking sucks!" Emmett protested with a growl, taking three huge steps forward and scooping me up into his massive arms and squeezing me into a bear hug that I genuinely thought would leave permanent indentations on my body. "You look after yourself, sis," he whispered into my ear, releasing me and turning on heel, heading for the still open back door and out into the yard.

Rosalie quickly took his place, stepping in front of me and gracing me with a comparatively chaste hug and wishing me luck before following her clearly upset husband and mate. Jasper nodded to Carlisle, letting him step forward to hold Bree in place and freeing Jasper, letting him come to my side and wrap both of his arms around my now shaking shoulders. "We will see you both in three months," He said strongly, his warm southern drawl bringing a weak smile to the corner of my lips as my arm circled his waist to return his embrace.

"Three months, Major," I agreed, releasing him and offering him a quick salute as he moved back, motioning to Alice who had been standing more still than I had ever seen her.

"Kali, I want to show you something," She whispered, I nodded once to let her know I could hear her mind and she battered me with pictures. Bree and I could be seen standing in a park at the base of a huge tree, talking to a blonde vampire. The three of us in Mexico, tracking the dark haired vampire from Bree's memories. The four of us co-existing perfectly until it was time to come home… It was beautiful and it comforted me greatly. My face split into a true smile as I hurled myself at Alice at full speed. I was able to knock her back three feet before she could dig her heels in and absorb the impact.

"Thank you, Alice, for everything," I whispered sincerely. "I will see you soon." Alice chose not to respond verbally, opting instead to show me how much she would miss me with her thoughts. The lump was back in my throat again. When I finally released her, I turned to the two people who I was desperately dreading having to say goodbye to. "Carlisle, Esme… I…" I was officially out of words. I couldn't bring myself to say the words that would take me from them. I took two steps towards them and froze. Jasper was holding onto Bree, almost gasping at the flood of despair he was feeling and Edward's eyes were screwed up tight as he tried to block Jazz and me out. Esme had pity on all of us, taking the final step forward and pulling me to her in a tight embrace.

"It's alright, dear, It will be alright," She soothed, stroking my hair in an attempt to comfort me. I let out a single, solitary sob before Carlisle engulfed us in his arms.

"Kali, you are our daughter and we love you. We always will and nothing can change that." He said, rubbing a strong hand up and down my back. "You are a Cullen. You are strong and you will help Bree and then you will come back to us. Is that understood?" I pulled back slightly, looking into his eyes and nodding quickly. My eyes burned terribly as my gaze flickered between the two people who I had adopted as friend, siblings and parents. Their eyes were reflecting nothing but love and pride. My hand reached up instinctively and a single finger traced the smooth silver around the pendant I hadn't taken off since I had received it.

"Once a Cullen, always a Cullen, right?" I asked, managing a fairly genuine smile.

"Most definitely," He agreed, before letting me and Esme go, allowing me to turn to the last two members of my family. Bella was tucked under Edward's are, tears silently rolling down her cheeks and onto his shirt. Edward had his poker face in full effect now, putting on a strong front for Bella when she needed it. Inside his head, however, he was a total mess.

"If I come back, and you are still human, I will kick his arse!" I promised Bella, earning a watery chuckle. I could practically hear Edward's eyes taking a tour around their sockets at my comment.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Kali," Bella said softly, giving me a warm, throat scratching hug.

"It's only three months until we are back and we will all be together again,'' I said as I gently passed her to a waiting Alice before turning and facing my brother, focusing completely on him.

"Edward," I thought. "We are going to have to do this silently because I honestly don't know if I can do another goodbye. It's killing me.''

"I know, believe me, I know." He replied, taking a step towards me and freezing.

"Am I doing the right thing?" I asked him. The whole family had respected and accepted my decision without even questioning me. I hadn't flat out asked anyone for their opinion, and I respected Edward's more than most.

"Kali, we all love and support you and we will support you in whatever decision you make.''

I thought for a second, chancing a glance at a growingly impatient Bree and sighed. ''I want to save her.''

"Then do it," He replied silently, as he stepped closer to me and enveloping me in his long arms and pulling me to his chest. Well, that did it. The metaphorical flood barrier burst and the dry sobs came thick and fast, catching in my now tight throat. ''We will all be here for you when you guys get back''

"I know… I know... this just fucking sucks,'' I grumbled, all eloquence gone now as my emotional state started to tumble wildly. I gave Edward one last squeeze and stepped away, clenching my eyes shut to help with the sting. I voiced my last statement out loud, a small smirk pulling at my lips as I caught the look on his face. ''You know, Edward, she is going to be magnificent."

"Who?"

"Bella." His face shone as a smile spread over it slowly. "Right, seeing as I am being an emotional freak and I literally can't say it again, we are going to go." I indicated for Bree to join me as I lifted the last of my bags and headed for the front door. "I love you all and I will see you all sooner than you think." I about turned and took Bree's hand, pulling her with me out of the front door and down the steps on the porch. Tossing the last bag into the back seat, I slid into the passenger side of the Range Rover and gripped the wheel tight. As Bree assumed the position in front of me, buckling her seat belt and tucking her knees up under her chin. I revisited the urge to chastise having her shoes on my cream leather, but was mercifully distracted by a soft sigh releasing itself from her lips. The burgeoning motherly instinct inside me instantly went on 'protect and defend' mode, forcing me to place a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you ready, Bree?" I asked, keeping my tone as low as possible.

"Yeah," she replied, studying the denim stretched over her knees, looking as uncomfortable as it was possible for one of our kind to look without moving. After a second, her eyes lifted, staring straight into mines and her expression softened. "What about you? You ok?"

"I'll be fine, Bree," I smiled softly, turning the key in the ignition and startling when the engine sounded a hell of a lot more powerful than it had before.

"Kali, I tuned and upgraded parts of the engine while you were packing." My head whipped around and my eyes landed on eight of the most prefect creatures, standing assembled at the front of the house. Rosalie was, oddly enough, standing in front, leaning against Emmett's chest with her arms folded. She gave a soft smile and continued; ''And Esme and I will see that your cars are taken back to the Seattle house for you. "

My eyes stung again as I focused on Jasper's ability as much as I could, blasting them with as much love as I could physically manifest, whispering a heartfelt "Thank you," before turning away, slamming my foot onto the accelerator and rocketing away from the house, down the driveway and pulling onto the highway with Bree pressed into the back of her seat with the sheer speed.

Three months. Three months until I could be back where I, and now Bree, belonged. We had to wait three months until we were back in the embrace of our new family. I smiled at the thought. I waited six hundred and two years for them… I could wait for three months for my life to start again.

* * *

Author Note - Well, there ya go... Kali is off on her own and Bree is safe.

Next chapter... we go on a Fred hunt. ;)

Thanks for reading and feel free to let me know how much this is going to suck.

Over and out!

Kalika87 xKx


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